A senior official at the South Sudanese Embassy in Khartoum has halted its support for Southern university students previously supported by the South Sudanese government. One student alleged this was because the students were seen as “anti-Juba government.”
The dormitory was being sponsored by the embassy for over one year since the time in office of former Vice President Riek Machar.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, South Sudanese students attending Sudanese universities complained that hundreds have been affected by the closure of their dormitory by the embassy. They said the government started to change its policy shortly after the fighting erupted in December 2013.
Haisam Abelgadir, one of the evicted students said the Academic Supervisor at the Juba embassy ordered the closure of the dormitory under the pretext that some students used to criticize the government over social media.
“We were perplexed when the academic supervisor came and ordered the closure of the dormitory without any warning. They have now rented another dormitory for some of our colleagues whom they believe are pro-government,” he alleged.
On the other hand, Chan Abdullah Ajak, a member of the preparatory committee to form the Union of South Sudanese students in Khartoum rubbished the claims. He said the embassy gave a deadline to the students to evacuate the dormitory on 1 January after the contract had elapsed in September 2014.
The committee member explained that the South Sudanese Ministry of Education could not pay renting costs of the dormitory.
Ajak indicated that the students who were evicted from the dormitory are mostly graduates, while those remaining at another dormitory are still studying at Sudanese universities.
Radio Tamazuj could reach the South Sudanese Embassy in Khartoum to comment on the claims.