Some South Sudanese students in Khartoum, Sudan, have raised worry as the violence that suddenly broke up in the country is still escalating despite a cessation agreement by the warrying country’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
On Saturday April 15, 2023, heavy gunfight erupted in the capital between army forces of Abdal Fatah Al Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
One student, who spoke to The Radio Community, Yai Tor Kondok – a fourth-year university student at Ahfad University of Women and pursuing Nutrition and Dietetics – says many of them have been trapped in the hostels, where they sleep on the floor as fighting rages on near their hostel.
Tor called on the government of South Sudan to rescue them, especially with buses to transport them to the nearby Renk town, across the border.
For the last five days, she says they have only been subsisting on lentils and rice since access to the nearby market is hard.
‘‘We are just eating traditional lentils and rice throughout; even taking shower is hard, because our hostel is very close to where these guys are; gunshots and bomb is all we hear,’’ Tor explained.
Another student, Bibe Valentino Salih, from the School of Management and majoring in Human Resource at the higher learning institution, said their situation was dire.
“The situation is bad; we are stranded. We don’t have power or water. There is no food. We, the students are suffering,” she told TRC on Wednesday.
For her part, Sarah Abraham Bol Aduot, an Alumna of Ahfad University for Women, echoed the students’ call for evacuation to a safer place.
“I am requesting the government of South Sudan to help them get out of here safely, because I don’t think universities will be able to resume operations soon,’’ Bol asserted.
‘‘I am requesting the government of South Sudan to act and help, not just south Sudanese but Sudanese people as well because the situation is getting worse.’’
