Bahr el Ghazal university students strike over lack of food
August 23, 2017 (WAU) – Student from the University of Bahr el Ghazal in South Sudan’s Wau state on Wednesday staged a peaceful strike demanding that food be provided in hostels.
A number of police officer had to be deployed at the university’s main gate after information leaked that there was a planned strike.
The university’s deputy vice chancellor for administration and finance, Prof. Abraham Matoc said Tuesday that the contracting agency claimed it was out of cash to buy food for the university.
The announcement prompted students to strike the next day.
“I called it [strike] a surprise because if the students or anybody in the university here had something to express, he or she should have to notified the university administration through meetings,” said Matoc.
The university hostel, Matoc said, currently hosts up to 4,000 students.
He further added that they met the governor of Wau state who promised to look into the food scarcity situation affecting students.
Matoc urged students to be calm until food is airlifted to Wau state.
The chairperson of the students’ association at the university, Poth Marial Dheljang confirmed the strike, urging calm among students.
James Wol Ajang, another student, said the strike was triggered by the deployment of security forces after they were informed that students at University of Bahr el Ghazal had planned to go on strike.
A similar strike over lack food occurred at the same university last year.
(ST).