School children in Abyei says never expected to resume classes

By Ngor Arol Garang

September 14, 2009 (ABYEI) — Many school children in Abyei today said never expected to resume classes adding the destruction of hundreds of schools during fighting between the northern and southern Sudanese armies in May 2008 left many of them with little hope of education.

Clashes between the two sides in the oil rich region of Abyei resulted into one of the largest internal displacements in recent times. About 50, 000 people fled their homes, particularly after fighting intensified on 15 May 2008.

However, with the arbitration court ruling last July giving centre of Abyei town to Nine Dinka Ngok chiefdoms, many of the internally displaced families who had fled the to neighboring states started to return gradually.

Their return comes in response to numerous calls by traditional leaders despite the existing challenges particularly many of children schools are in ruins.

In an interview with Sudan Tribune, Abyei boys’ basic school head teacher, Monychol Alor Kuol, at school compound today, said the impact of the fighting has been quite dramatic on schools and students in particular.

Some of the schools such as girls’ was blown up by the SAF before the fighting, while other schools were destroyed during the active conflict,” he said.

Kuol further added that about 30 schools had been completely flattened, while some 40 schools had been damaged with collapsed walls and roofs caused by mortar fire, rocket-propelled grenades or bombs.

He accused the military forces of having problem with female education schools. He further said they blew up girls’ schools when they controlled the area for about two years. “They attacked other empty schools alleging that most of the teachers were supporters of the SPLA.”

Referring to Sudan Armed Forces brigade 31, Alor said these soldiers used to enter and close schools without reasons saying have heard entrance of some SPLA officials into schools as teachers.

Regarding his expectations from the nascent Abyei administration, he said there are many challenges with each preceding the other, school building and renovation should top their priorities

More than 400 other primary and secondary schools also needed to be renovated, he said, adding that many had been converted into shelters to accommodate people fleeing the fighting.

“Lots of schools need to be cleaned up, repainted and refurnished after so many people have been living there,” he said.

Reports of humanitarian agencies, which assess how to help war-ravaged areas such as the UNICEF, say schools are amongst the worst-hit infrastructure.

Whenever there was a fight between SPLA and elements of Sudan armed forces in Abyei during war, they would later turn their anger on innocent civilians to conduct revenge attacks by burning down more schools and attacking students as if they were involved in their fights just on the basis of being from one ethnicity.

He also said lack of schooling for many children would be a devastating blow to people desperate to get back to normal life.

When children go to school it creates a sense of normalcy and this is what returning populations need, he said. But this is impossible if the schools no longer exist, he adds.

(ST)