“The past is already the past. We need to open a new chapter,” says Lunia Okuch, a youth peace ambassador in Malakal, South Sudan, whose generation grew up surrounded by conflict in the world’s youngest nation.

“During the war, I lost family members. But for me, I know that it has happened, and it is already gone,” she says.

Peace in South Sudan has always been fragile, marked by cycles of violence and eroded trust even before it split from Sudan to become its own country in 2011. From the eruption of civil war in 2013 to the revitalised peace agreement in 2018, each step towards stability has been hard-fought.

Today, many of the main obstacles to sustainable peace are more localised, with sporadic cattle raiding and gang violence among youth groups.

“If I had a job, I would not be in a gang,” says Akol*, a 22-year-old who has been part of a local gang since he was 17. “We have no jobs, no money, no support to go to school.”

Akol’s journey began after dropping out of school due to a lack of opportunities, a common story for many young men in South Sudan. “If you do not have backup, people will take everything from you.”

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The gangs in Malakal, he says, are comprised of different ethnicities but are united because of the shared struggles of poverty and displacement. “We do not fight because of tribes. We fight to survive.”

For many young people, gang life is both a symptom and a cause of South Sudan’s instability. Yet, it is also among the youth where hope for a peaceful future lies, with young leaders like Okuch working tirelessly to bridge divides, fostering understanding in communities still scarred by violence.

The burden of rebuilding and reshaping the future of the country extends beyond the youth. Nyawar Monykuany, a women’s representative for 13 counties in Upper Nile State, and others like her are stepping into leadership roles to mend fractured communities.

“Women can be peace ambassadors,” she says, describing her work helping to unite Malakal’s tribes. Fluent in multiple local languages, Monykuany uses dialogue to foster trust among groups that once viewed each other with suspicion and hostility.

Economic recovery is another critical piece of the puzzle. Joel John, a builder in the town of Yei, credits vocational training programmes with giving him a chance to provide for his family after years of displacement in neighbouring Uganda. “I chose this work because I can use it to rebuild my life,” he says. But like many others, he worries that insecurity in rural areas could undermine the progress made in the towns.

The revitalised peace agreement of 2018 marked an important milestone for the country; however, challenges persist in addressing the grassroots dynamics of violence.

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Ethnic divisions, land disputes and resource scarcity continue to spark conflict, particularly in areas where floods and displacement exacerbate tensions. Organisations like the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have played a role in facilitating local dialogues and promoting peace through grassroots initiatives.

Yet, as communities like those in Malakal and Yei demonstrate, it is mainly through the incremental, determined efforts of South Sudan’s people that peace is evolving.

*Names changed to protect identities