A youth group in Bor town of Jonglei State is using martial arts to build peace and unity among communities.

Boxing, wrestling, kickboxing and karate, among other activities are some of the forms of martial arts being practiced among groups of the youth.

In many parts of the world, martial arts are practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense, military and law enforcement applications, competition and physical development.

However, in Jonglei and other parts of South Sudan, martial arts often take the form of traditional wrestling, football, dance and volleyball.

Maluak Ayuen, a chief instructor at the martial arts training camp in Bor, told Radio Tamazuj on Sunday that martial arts have helped boost social interactions among young people in the greater Jonglei state since 2014.

He said the training camp has 110 students, including five females.

“25 of them are from the Nuer community, 10 from the Anyuak community and 10 are from Murle while the rest hail from Bahr el Ghazal and Bor. There are also people from Equatoria and Uganda with us at this center,” Ayuen explained.

According to the instructor, sports can be used to overcome feuds among the locals in the region. “We hail from different ethnic groups. We have been together despite differences among our communities and we see ourselves as colleagues. This is peace,” he stressed.

Omot Ogol, a trainee from the Anyuak community, said he got connected to many people at the training, which he joined in 2018. Ayuen said martial arts are crucial for physical health and tournaments.

“Martial art is an international sport. In 2018, we got some prizes in Uganda after winning in the tournament,” he added.

Ayuen urged the government to invest in all the country’s sport activities.

“Before the crisis in 2013, the government funded inter-state tournaments. As peace returns, we appeal to the government to fund us and build stadiums. It will bring people together, keep youth engaged and generate revenues for government,” he stressed.

The communities of greater Jonglei State have for long been wrangling, leading to cattle raids and child abductions.