Leaders Endorse Football as a Tool for Peace, Unity, and Youth Empowerment
By Isaac Denish
Political and community leaders have endorsed football as a powerful platform for promoting peace, unity, and youth empowerment across the Bahr el Ghazal region, calling for greater investment in grassroots sports to help foster social cohesion.
The leaders made the remarks during the draw for the Bahr el Ghazal Counties Tournament held on Wednesday at the Pyramid Hotel in Juba.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director of the SSPDF Pension Fund, Gen. Bona Panek Biar, proposed a unified leadership structure for football in the region, suggesting that Bahr el Ghazal should have one football president while leaders of individual county teams serve as football managers to strengthen coordination and cooperation.
Gen. Panek urged tournament organizers to expand the competition to grassroots communities and engage young people, particularly those affected by conflict in Warrap State. He said football has the potential to unite communities, steer youth away from violence, and contribute to lasting peace.
Former National Minister of Finance Hon. Dier Tong Ngor commended the organizers for successfully arranging the tournament and praised their commitment to promoting unity through sport.
He also conveyed the appreciation of the people of the Abyei Administrative Area to the organizers and the people of Bahr el Ghazal, encouraging sports leaders to continue using football as a vehicle for peace, reconciliation, and community cohesion.
Representing the Chief Administrator of the Ruweng Administrative Area, State Minister of Finance Hon. Amum Luke thanked the organizers for including the Ruweng team in the competition. He expressed confidence that the team would perform strongly and emerge as one of the tournament’s leading contenders.
The representative of the County Presidents, Mabor Mabak Marial, said he was pleased to engage young people through football. He acknowledged the determination and teamwork that made the tournament possible and thanked former tournament leaders for laying a strong foundation for its continued growth.
Current County Presidents’ representative Majok Mariano Jiel admitted that organizing the competition would be challenging but expressed confidence that teamwork and commitment would ensure the tournament achieves its objectives.
Meanwhile, the President of the Aweil Counties Tournament, Wol Dut Anguei, thanked the football community in Aweil for its continued support and urged the current tournament leadership to remain united in advancing football across the Bahr el Ghazal region.
He also appealed to media organizations to report responsibly by highlighting stories that promote peace, unity, and coexistence among communities.
The Bahr el Ghazal Counties Tournament is expected to bring together teams from across the region, using football as a platform to strengthen social bonds, encourage youth participation, and promote peaceful coexistence.
