A five-day youth conference ended in South Sudan’s Aweil State on Sunday with calls for promotion of peace and reconciliation in communities and capacity building programs.

The conference was organized by the Catholic Church in Aweil with support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) through its VISTAS program. 

About 300 youth from various denominations attended the event.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj at the closing ceremony, the administrator of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wau, Rev. Fr. Marko Mongu said the youth who attended the five-day conference were eligible to receive skills.

Participants at the event also called for reopening of Northern Bahr el Ghazal University as well as construction of roads and hospitals.

Malual Alwa, a USAID official, said non-governmental entities will implement more youth projects in Northern Bahr el Ghazal region. 

He urged youth to apply lessons learned in respective communities.

According to estimates, 72 per cent of South Sudan’s 12.4 million population are 30 years old and below.