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A delegation of chiefs and government officials from South Sudan on a visit to Ghana, on Monday interacted with members of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, in Ho. It was to enable the visiting team to learn about customs, values and traditional governing structures of the people of the region. At a durbar in honour of the 21-member delegation in Ho, Professor Kwesi Kwaa Prah of the Centre for Advanced Studies of African Society in South Africa, who accompanied the team, said the visit was to help South Sudan to re-build its structures and chieftaincy institution, destroyed by 50 years of war. Mr Tor Deng Mawien, leader of the delegation, said some years ago, �we were Arabs by force but now, we are happy to be proud Africans,� and called for support from African countries to re-build South Sudan. �We are building a new baby nation. We are number 54 and seek your assistance for rapid growth,� he said. Mr Mawien said South Sudan particularly requested assistance the maintained of law and order and administration of justice in rural communities. He said another issue of importance for South Sudan was the role of chiefs in local government, and commended the Regional House of Chiefs for giving the delegation a warm reception. Mr James Lual, South Sudan�s Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Relations, said the delegation was excited at traditional dancing performed by groups from the region and said, �this cultural heritage is not for you only, but all Africa�. �We feel very much at home here even more than being in Khartoum�. Mr Henry Ametepe, Caretaker Minister for Volta Region, commended the delegation for the determination to re-build South Sudan, and underscored the importance for Africans to maintain their cultural values. Togbe Afede XIV, President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, congratulated the people of South Sudan for attaining independence. He said Ghana has a well established chieftaincy institution, which works closely with state institutions to ensure good democratic governance. Togbe Afede said apart from maintaining law and order in communities, chiefs in the country take development initiatives towards the wellbeing of their people, and asked South Sudan to emulate that. He appealed to South Sudan to enact laws that would clearly show lines of succession for chiefs to forestall chieftaincy disputes. Togbe Afede also advised the delegation to lobby the South Sudan Parliament to make laws that would provide adequate funding for chieftaincy to make it independent of government to some extent. He pledged the support of the Regional House of Chiefs towards efforts at re-building South Sudan. The delegation made up of two kings and four chiefs visited South Africa and Botswana before coming to Ghana. In Ghana, the delegation visited Akropong in the Eastern Region and Nungua in the Greater Accra Region before coming to the Volta Region.