July 19, 2014 (KAMPALA) – The governor of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria state, Louis Lobong Lojore, has urged students from the region to unite together for unity in order to build trust for nation building purposes.

Eastern Equatoria state Governor Louis Lobong Lojore speaking at the consultative conference in Juba, May 9, 2013 (Larco Lomoyat)

Govenor Lojore made these remarks at a meeting organised in the South Sudanese capital, Juba by members of the Equatorian students’ union in Uganda.

“Be patriotic and commit yourselves to peace, unity and reconciliation to have a prosperous South Sudan”, he said in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune.

He also encouraged hard work among the students and promised to lobby his counterparts from Central and Western Equatoria states to assist them.

Bush Buse, the chairperson of the Greater Equatoria students union in Kampala, said students under his leadership were firmly committed to bringing peace and unity to the entire country.

“Everybody was affected by the conflict whether you are from Equatoria, Upper Nile or Bahr el Ghazal and that calls for every citizen’s constructive role to work for peace, unity and reconciliation”, said Buse.

“We should therefore learn to either live together as brothers or perish together as fools”, he added.

Buse, however, cited improper border security, lack of funds, and unemployment problems especially among South Sudanese who studied as Ugandans during the bush war era as some of the challenges the union faces.

At least 30 students affected by the conflict were reportedly assisted by the union to enable them pursue their studies, at it appealed for more government support.

(ST)