Ten students from Salaam Girls Secondary School in Malakal called on South Sudanese to stop tribal clashes in reply to the recent violence in Jonglei state and other areas in the region.
The schoolgirls said conflicts like cattle rustling happen because some communities pay expensive bride prices which forces young men to steal other people’s cattle in order to be able to marry, Voice of Lofe FM reported.Student Nyabuchai Anthony said it is the responsibility of the communities to speak out against tribalism.
She appealed to students not to make school friends only from people from their own ethnic community.
Sunday Achuil Otor on her turn said that if people continue with tribalism there will never be development and the coming generations shall face the same problem and shall have no good future.
She added that people should understand themselves and live in peace.
Naema Joseph Chan asked parents and elders to stop reminding their children about their past tribal wars and conflicts, adding that it can be a source of violence in South Sudan.
Umjuma Al-faki said that South Sudanese became independent not to finish in tribal wars.
She added that South Sudan risks to be called a failed state if the culture of inter-tribal violence continues.
She asked government leaders to stop encouraging tribal conflicts for their own benefits and ask them to work for the development in the new state instead.