Signpost for Rumbek University of Science and Technology. (-)

Civil society actors in Lakes State are calling for the immediate release of four lecturers from Rumbek University who were apprehended and detained over the weekend.

The four academics, who have been in detention since Saturday, are identified as Makur Awan Maguang, the Dean of Student Affairs, and Khot Manyuon Thuc, who heads the Department of Business Administration within the College of Economics and Social Studies.

The other two are Joseph Muong and Emmanuel Rundial, the respective heads of the Departments of Geography and History.

Their arrest follows a demand from the university’s staff association for the dismissal of the Vice Chancellor, citing allegations of ineffective leadership and intimidation.

Angelina Adhel Malual, the chairperson of the civil society network, has appealed to both the Minister of Higher Education and the Governor of Lakes State to intervene and secure the release of the four lecturers.

She cautioned that their continued detention could trigger a strike involving both students and lecturers.

“As Civil society network, we looked at it as something that can be handled by the administration within the university. But, since the misunderstanding has already blocked the chain of communication, that’s why we request your high authority to intervene to de-escalate the situation,” she stated.

Activist Adhel further urged the university administration to initiate internal administrative mechanisms to resolve disagreements with staff, rather than resorting to external intervention to address the issues.

“Because we know all that, the administration of Rumbek University is already a big institution that can handle such small cases before being taken out of hand,” she added.

When contacted for comment on Tuesday, the university’s Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Otor Akol, stated that he was unaware of any staff members being arrested by security forces.

However, according to a lecturer at the institution who spoke to Eye Radio on Tuesday, security personnel arrived at the university and detained the lecturers after the Vice Chancellor, Professor Akol, met and discussed the petition calling for his removal with the State Governor, Riny Tueny Mabor.

The state government has yet to state these accusations.