S. Sudanese students in Egypt strike over allowances

June 25, 2015 (CAIRO) – South Sudanese students currently studying in Egypt have gone on strike, demanding that concerned official fully pay their 11-months allowances.

The South Sudanese union, in a statement extended to Sudan Tribune, urge the South Sudan government to pay pending allowances from November 2014 to June 2015.

Kot Maker, a student representative, said the 2013 outbreak of war in South Sudan made it extremely hard for students to get their $100 paid to the 160 students on scholarship.

“Students are in very desperate situation of not being able to provide renting costs and feeding which are basically essential for human being to live,” he said in the statement.

Eyewitness said the students on Thursay blocked all routes to the embassy in Cairo demanding that the embassy be immediately closed.

“We held meeting on Wednesday as students union in our office and majority of students voting for the shut down of the embassy in Cairo today at 10 o’clock a.m. and we are determined to put off the embassy not to function until our demand are fully responded to and fulfilled,” said Maker.

South Sudan embassy officials were not immediately available to comment on the matter.

(ST)