According to sources within the university and civil society groups, the detained academics are:
- Makur Awan Maguang, Dean of Student Affairs
- Khot Manyuon Thuc, Head of the Department of Business Administration
- Joseph Muong, Head of the Department of Geography
- Emmanuel Rundial, Acting Head of the Department of History
They were reportedly arrested on Saturday, May 10, by NSS personnel. While initially expected to be taken to Rock City Military Barracks, they were instead held at a national security facility in Rumbek town, according to a university source who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation.
Detentions Follow Leadership Dispute
The arrests came shortly after a controversial meeting between the University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joshua Otor Akol, and Lakes State Governor Gen. Riny Tueny Mabor. The exact reason for the detentions remains unclear, but the timing has raised alarm among staff and human rights groups.
On May 8, 2024, just two days before the arrests, the Vice Chancellor suspended the university’s academic staff association and its acting chairperson, Khot Manyuon Thuc, one of those detained.
Civil Society Calls for Dialogue, Not Detention
Daniel Laat, State Coordinator for the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the detentions.
“This is an unfortunate situation. Dialogue would have been a better solution. The university administration could have met with the lecturers to address their grievances rather than resorting to detention,” Laat told Sudans Post.
He warned that continued detention could escalate tensions, urging the national government to intervene. Laat emphasized that the detained lecturers had previously raised their concerns with both university leadership and the President of South Sudan.
University and State Officials Respond
Prof. Joshua Otor Akol, the university’s Vice Chancellor, claimed ignorance of the arrests, stating,
“I don’t know if they are arrested. Let me first find out about that.”
Meanwhile, Acting State Minister of Information William Koji Kerjok declined to comment, citing jurisdictional boundaries:
“If security is involved, then we are not involved. The university has its own spokesman.”
Lecturers Had Demanded Removal of Top Officials
The detentions occurred just one day after the university staff association held a general assembly on May 7, 2025, in which they demanded the removal of top administrators, including the Vice Chancellor and his two deputies.
In their statement, the staff cited administrative incompetence, including:
- Poor staff accommodation
- Harassment of academic staff
- Unpaid salaries and delays in compensation
Conclusion:
The detention of university staff amid unresolved grievances paints a troubling picture of shrinking academic freedom and growing authoritarianism in South Sudan’s higher education sector. Civil society leaders are calling for immediate release of the lecturers and transparent dialogue to resolve the dispute peacefully.
