Refugees , Hosts Unite Through Sports for Peace in South Sudan

By Jenifer James

Refugees and host community members in South Sudan are joining forces in a series of sports activities designed to promote peaceful coexistence, recognise talent, and foster social cohesion.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Commission for Refugee Affairs (CRA) in collaboration with various government ministries and international partners, kicked off its athletics preliminaries this week at the Buluk playground in Juba.

Speaking to the media during the event, Yawusa Dawod Kintha, Deputy Director for Protection and Refugee Welfare at the Commission for Refugee Affairs, underscored the importance of showcasing refugee talent.

“Our event today is something that has been ongoing for a while. It’s very important that the people of South Sudan know we have refugees in the country who are talented. Today we held the track and field preliminaries, and on Saturday, we will continue with long-distance races and the finals,” Kintha said.

The programme, dubbed “Sports for Peaceful Coexistence and Social Cohesion,” includes refugees from across South Sudan, including those in Maban, Ruweng Administrative Area, Yambio, and urban centres such as Juba and Wau.

“These activities started earlier this year with the CRA leading, alongside Shabaka Meisha under the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Gender,” Kintha explained. “I also want to appreciate the government of South Sudan for integrating refugees with the host communities and promoting peace through sports.”

Kintha highlighted the broader vision of the programme—using sports not only to foster peace but also to create opportunities for refugees at national and international levels.

“This is a milestone for us and for the refugees,” he said. “Back in 2015, the UNHCR announced that refugees should be able to participate in international competitions like the Olympics or World Championships. While our refugees couldn’t participate in 2020 due to funding issues, today I am happy to see some who have been training in silence. These are the individuals we’ll recommend to the South Sudan Athletic Federation for further training.”

The initiative also promotes integration by blending teams of refugees and host community members, rather than pitting them against each other.

“We mixed 18 refugee boys and 18 host community boys into two blended teams. This is not about competition; it’s about unity and coexistence,” Kintha said.

“People often don’t realise we are hosting refugees from countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Burundi, the DRC, and the Central African Republic,” Kintha added. “These are people who have fled war, escaped bullets and bombings. Now in South Sudan, we must provide healing and a sense of routine, and sports helps do that.”

Meanwhile, the Community Engagement Specialist at the National Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Anyama Saviour Alex, echoed the significance of the programme.

“These projects support the most vulnerable households through cash transfers,” he said. “We’re working closely with the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, and the CRA to support 157,500 households across 20 counties.”

The initiative, part of the World Bank–funded Shabaka Meisha project, not only provides cash to help communities meet basic needs, but also aims to strengthen social ties.

“Sports is a social protection tool,” Anyama said. “It brings people together. We hope to continue similar activities in other refugee-hosting locations.”

The event will conclude with football matches on Saturday. Organisers say both boys and girls will participate, with further events planned for Maban in the coming weeks.

One refugee participant, Umnia Emmanuel Moses, expressed gratitude to the organisers.

“I appreciate the work of Shabaka Meisha,” she said. “I encourage all refugees to have hope; better things are ahead.”

According to UNHCR, South Sudan hosts 559,615 refugees and asylum-seekers across 142,432 households, settled in 29 locations nationwide.