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| Rumbek Students Threaten to Burn University Unless Campus Is Reopened |
More than 100 students participated in the peaceful demonstration, which was organised by the Rumbek University Students' Union, calling for the campus to be immediately reopened.The university has remained closed for more than a year, leaving students in limbo and facing an uncertain future.
Students marched from the university campus and continued on to the Human Rights Commission and the office of Lakes state's caretaker governor, where they delivered a memo calling on authorities to respond to several key points regarding the university's future, as well as detailing nine resolutions passed by the union group.
In the memo, students expressed their frustration that the campus remained closed even after a request to the ministry of higher education to reopen the university at students' expense.
"We the students of Rumbek University are here today telling all the concerned ministries that we have manifested to get ourselves accommodation, feeding and other requirements that have been put as an excuse for buying time", the memo said.
The memo said that while those from affluent backgrounds had gone on to pursue their studies in Africa and other parts of the world, many former students, with some suffering psychological problems as a result of the university's closure, while others had turned to a life of crime.
"Our students are stranded all over the streets of South Sudan commanding a desperate life. What future plans does South Sudan ministry of higher education have for us? As being the final attempt failure to open the university within this month of June, 2013, we swear to burn down the University of Rumbek into ashes", the memo said.
"We [are] therefore asking the administration of Rumbek University and the government of South Sudan to compensate our wasted time in case our university is not reopened", it added.Following Monday's protest, vice-chancellor Atem Aduong Yak held a closed-door meeting with university administrators to decide on the future of the campus.
Aduong told students they would be informed of the outcome of Tuesday's meeting after three days.However, students' representative spokesperson Abraham Malith Riak said they were dissatisfied with the university's response to their demands.
"The meeting did not answer what we demanded, we asked them to reopen our university and we - the students - will pay our own accommodation and let the government pay the lectures' fee because we are aware of austerity measures the country is undertaking."
Speaking to students after the meeting, Aduong urged students to remain calm while the administration resolved outstanding matters.He explained that the ministry of higher education is taking steps to reopen the university, with an official response to come in three days.
"We will call you back after three days to tell you our official position; whether we will open the university or not - we have communicated your demand to Juba and the ministry of higher education", Aduong said.
Since its closure last April, the university grounds have been turned into farmland, with local casual workers granted plots for cultivation.
* Contents of the students' memo presented to the university's administration, Human Rights Commission and the office of Lakes state's caretaker governor Maj. Gen. Matur Chut Dhuol:
1. Why was the University of Rumbek opened as farming ground?
2. Why has Rumbek University remained closed while other universities have been allowed to stay open?
3. Is Rumbek University an economic victim alone?
*Resolutions from the student's union:
1. Close down all university offices: We the students of Rumbek University urge the administration to close all the offices within the campus until the university is reopened.
2. University assets: following today's peaceful protest, we are hereby asking the university's administration to put all assets, including cars, minibuses and any others out of use, or we are going to burn them.
3. The release of transcripts: should Rumbek University fail to reopen from the date of this protest, students request that all files and transcripts be released on the condition that the university's administration ensures third year students are given recommendations to complete their remaining two years in private institutions of learning in either Sudan, Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan at the expense of the government of South Sudan.
4. First year's intake for 2011-2012: We - the third year students of Rumbek University - are requesting that the ministry of higher education and the Rumbek University administration in particular ensure that all our brothers and sisters, whose names fall under Rumbek University, are called as of the beginning of the 2012-2013 academic year.
5. Without fear and favour, we are asking the university's administration to identify the personalities who are behind the delay in reopening the campus.
6. University staff shall receive no salaries in the name of Rumbek University until the campus is once again reopened.
7. The general students' body has agreed amongst themselves that hostels/and or student dormitories should be turned into lecture halls.
8. Rumbek University is warning casual workers to stop cultivating on campus grounds, otherwise they will incur heavy losses.
9. For easy consultation and coordination between the university's administration and the students union, we are therefore asking the principle, vice-chancellor, deputy vice-chancellor and the dean of students to remain present at the Rumbek campus compound until the university is reopened within the month of June.
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