South Sudan: Juba University Crises, When Shall They End? Part (II) - AllAfrica.com

In the first part of this article, we had said that the recent incident in University of Juba had worried the parents and the relatives of Juba University students.

We had stated that the purpose of the article is to divert the attention of our leadership to find a lasting solution to the University problems and to appeal to our students for combating tribalism and nepotism in this educational and social institution. We have presented media reports about these problems, as well as brief profile of the University and its nature of being a non-regional but a National University regardless of its name and location. This last part shall attempt to appeal to the students and the University administration and indeed the leadership of the new nation for smooth running of the University.

After the independence, much work should have been done for higher education to address the students' problems. One would assume that the students lack information of the University students' regulations and their activities are uncontrolled. If you visit the said University, you will see how the students are so much engaged in political activities such as corner political debates. In that University, you can find SPLM students league, SPLM-DC students' league, the UDF and USDF among others, and these are controlled somewhere. Moreover, tribal and regional associations are very active in the University; for example, you can find greater Equatoria association, the greater Bahr El-Ghazal students union, the Bari students' union, the Nuer students' society Jieng students' association, the Fashoda students union among others.

These ethnic students associations, sometimes do promote division among the students, instead of love, peace and unityThey are supposed to be engaged in academic activities by joining academic associations, such as environmental society, history society, geography society etc. where they could contribute in cleaning of Juba University surrounding and other areas, through their medical societies, they would have plan to provide health services to the needy in most affected areas in South Sudan, the right political activities should have been on issues that are facing the new nation such as the NCP aggression against the country and who want to reoccupy South Sudan.

The students were expected to call for open military training camps all over South Sudan where they could be trained to defend the sovereignty of the new nation and to liberate the occupied parts of South Sudan such as Higlig and Abyei. South Sudanese were expecting from our students to go to their respect areas and start preaching on peace and unity among our conflicting communities. We were expecting our students to rush to Kumiru when unnecessary fight had erupted among the citizens to at least advise them on their national duties as the citizens of this new nation who should not die for simple issues such as land ownership instead of supporting either side.

The students should know that as university trainees (students), they are nationalists who are trained not to serve their ethnic groups but the entire nation when they will be deployed after their graduation. They will be free to live and own land in any part of the country. We were expecting from our students in the University to enlighten our citizens especially those who were misinformed by their politicians that federalism means tribalism where citizens from other states should not acquire lands from their non-states.The decision of closure of the university by the administration had not been studied properly concerning its impact on students who are from far states such as Upper Nile and Unity and who do not have families in Juba.

The question that repeats itself is, who shall accommodate the said students until the opening of the University? If they are not accommodated then, has the university prepared means of transporting them to their respect states? The University should have considered their situation before it could ask them to leave the university hostels. Based on the above reality, where the students are uninformed of the university students' regulations, and where the students political activities are uncontrolled, and where the tribal students association are allowed to operate in the University, one could conclude that the administration had failed to control its students, as well as identifying those indisciplined and troublesome students so that they could be punished for their crimes instead of closing down the university.

In conclusion, the top leadership of the university is advised to change their policy and to adopt new one where all students are informed about the students regulations and where the students activities are controlled and where the tribal associations are outlawed, and where the university should encourage the formation of academic societies and to work for unity of its students. Entering the university should be controlled and those who are with University ID Cards should be allowed only in and guests should be identified with special cards attached to ribbons and clearly worn on their chests during their visits in the campus.

This also should be done with the Students hostels and their dining rooms where non-students should not be allowed to enter. The students are advised to disassociate themselves with the political and tribal associations; they should form and join academic professional associations to train themselves and serve their communities. Finally, the University administration is advised to cooperate with the teaching staff of who could play great roles in control of the students, this cooperation should include the University General Students Union, for without cooperation.

Juba University crises shall not end and it would be better for the administration to resign or be reassigned for the stability of university. Long live the unity of the South Sudan students.