Jonglei, UNHCR promote peace through wrestling competition

Hundreds of wrestling fans gathered in Bor town of Jonglei State on Sunday, to witness a rare wrestling event between Greenland and Kampala boys. The wrestling was organized by the Jonglei State ministry of culture, youth, and sports in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

By Awan Achiek

Hundreds of wrestling fans gathered in Bor town of Jonglei State on Sunday, to witness a rare wrestling event between Greenland and Kampala boys.

The wrestling was organized by the Jonglei State ministry of culture, youth, and sports in collaboration with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

It aimed to promote a culture of peace, unity, and reconciliation among the youth in Jonglei State.

The match attracted hundreds of spectators including government officials who were treated to a spectacle of giant wrestlers.

 The game ended 4:6 in favor of Kampala boys who won a big bull as a trophy after they were crowned champions of Sunday’s peaceful match.

Jonglei State has been mired in rampant communal violence characterized by cattle raiding, revenge killings, and child abductions.

Gabriel Kuany Bior, director of the state ministry of culture, youth and sport said wrestling is a unifying factor that brings young people together to build strong social cohesion and reconciliation.

“This is a wrestling for peace which brings all young youth together to know themselves in order to stop violence in Jonglei State,” Kuany told journalists on Sunday in Bor.

He said wrestling competitions would reduce the cycle of inter-communal violence, as well as end cattle raiding, child and women abduction.

“If youth are play in this activity, this issue of cattle raiding and child abduction will stop since they will be very busy in sports activities like wrestling.”

Viola Makame, UNHCR head of field officer in Bor said the wrestling match aimed at uniting the youth to end the cycle of violence in the state.

“When we celebrate today, let us also remember to engage ourselves fully to end this cycle of violence in Jonglei State,” said Makame.

She urged the youth to put their differences aside and concentrate on available opportunities brought about by peace.

“We have a lot of potential, let us concentrate on the potential and leave alone the fight. Let us leave our differences because we have a lot of opportunities.”

Mabior Ngor Chol, Secretary General of the Greenland team stressed the need to create a platform that will bring youth from Pibor and Jonglei to promote a culture of peace.

 “I think our brothers from Pibor, they don’t wrestle otherwise if they were wrestlers like us Mundari and Aliab, we could have organized matches so that it brings about peace but there is a need for a platform that brings us together with our brothers from Pibor so that we unite and make peace,” said Ngor.

He said youth are the future of this country who will together help achieve peace and stability.

 “The government should organize any kind of sport between Bor county and Pibor to bring us together either here in Bor or in Pibor or even in Juba, anywhere that we can come together.”

Jose Mayom Gabriel, Manager of Kampala Road Boys said wrestling competition will help bring peace among youth in Jonglei and neighboring Greater Pibor.

Wrestling is a very popular sport among the Dinka, Mundari, and Lotuko communities.

The sport is seen as an avenue for bringing warring communities to coexist in peace.

The Mundari, Dinka, and other Nilotic tribes are cattle-oriented and they practice wrestling as part of their culture and tradition.

They have seasonal initiation ceremonies, a stage of passage to adulthood in which they conduct activities like wrestling, use of sticks, and facial scarification on their foreheads.

These ethnic – tribes still want to maintain their culture around the world, showing off their traditional customs in spite of the ongoing conflict.

The wrestlers wore leopard print skirts flapping and as well as feathers of ostrich on their heads.

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