19/07/2025
A Walk Into Forgiveness: How One Youth Leader Risked His Life to End an Eight-Year Feud
By Ruot Bayoch Gatluak Dinay Akobo County, South Sudan – July 18, 2025
In a region long scarred by cycles of revenge and clan-based violence, one young man’s extraordinary act of courage has reignited hope for peace.
On Friday, July 11, 2025, Kuel Kailech, a youth leader from the Cie-Mankhoat clan, made a life-altering decision. Without informing his family, friends, or fellow clansmen, he switched off his phones and set out on foot toward Wec Goak Boma, a village inhabited by members of the rival Cie-Bhol clan—the very group responsible for the death of his elder brother two years earlier.
The feud between Cie-Mankhoat and Cie-Bhol had raged for eight years, claiming the lives of 45 individuals and leaving communities in a state of fear and trauma. Kuel’s journey was not one of retaliation, but of surrender. His goal: to offer his own life in exchange for peace.
Upon arrival at midnight, Kuel approached Dobuol, a cattle camp youth leader from Cie-Bhol, and declared his intent. “I’ve come here to be killed by your clansmen,” he said. “I’ve heard they’ve been looking for me. I believe that by sacrificing myself, the cycle of revenge will end.”
Dobuol, stunned by the gravity of Kuel’s words, asked him to wait until dawn. At 4:00 a.m. on July 12, Kuel presented himself to the home of the man whose brother had been killed by Kuel’s clan. The man, equally shocked, called his fellow clansmen to hear Kuel’s plea.
What followed was nothing short of transformative.
Rather than retaliate, the Cie-Bhol youth were moved by Kuel’s bravery and selflessness. They chose dialogue over vengeance. They asked Kuel to return to his clan and organize a joint meeting to resolve the feud peacefully. A grassroots reconciliation dialogue is now scheduled between the two clans—without external intervention.
Kuel’s act is more than a gesture; it is a model of leadership, humility, and the power of personal sacrifice for collective healing.
I have known Kuel for many years. In July 2017, I trained him and 25 other cattle camp youth in trauma awareness during a five-day workshop in Meer village, part of the USAID VISTAS Morning Star initiative. At the time, participants arrived armed, fearful of attacks from rival clans. Though most NGOs prohibit weapons at training sites, we chose to allow them in—understanding the depth of their trauma and hyper-vigilance.
By the final day of training, not a single participant carried a weapon. It was a clear sign that healing had begun.
Kuel’s recent actions are a continuation of that journey. His decision to walk into the heart of danger, not with a weapon but with a message of peace, is a testament to the transformative power of trauma healing and youth-led reconciliation.
In a country still grappling with the aftermath of conflict, Kuel Kailech stands as a beacon of hope. His story reminds us that peace is not imposed—it is chosen, often at great personal cost.
The author Paul Ruot Bayoch is a certified master trainer in facilitating Trauma Awareness Sessions and a graduate of school of Law & International Studies. He can be reach at [email protected]
The picture attached was taken during the five day trauma awareness session I conducted with them in 2017 in Meer village. Kuel is the man in yellow T-shirt standing on the far left.
Eye Radio Hot in Juba Catholic Radio Network Naam Studio Radio Tamazuj
