Latest news with #UniversityofJuba
The Star
a day ago
- Health
- The Star
Chinese doctors offer medical aid to university students in South Sudan
JUBA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- The 12th batch of the Chinese medical team on Friday offered free medical services to university students in Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Chinese doctors visited the main campus of the University of Juba, with Kong Jor Koryom, a 34-year-old South Sudanese student of electrical engineering, among hundreds of patients who received treatment. From 2023, Koryom struggled to revise his coursework at night, as exposure to bright light causes severe eye pain and itching. "Even when I wake up in the morning, I find that my eyes are very dirty," said Koryom. Though he had previously sought help from private clinics, the condition persisted. "Today, I came to the Chinese medical team and they gave me drugs and eye drops. I am hoping they are more effective than the ones we have in the market," Koryom said. Nhial Wanmaz, a 30-year-old public administration student, has also found it difficult to concentrate on his studies due to severe back and stomach pain. "I approached the Chinese doctors and explained to them my condition, they gave me drugs which I am going to take and I am hopeful that these drugs will relieve my pain," he said. Suzan Peter Ladu, director of the University of Juba clinic, hailed Chinese doctors for consistently providing free health services to students and staff, including communities neighboring the university. Ladu said that since 2024, the Chinese medical team has been sending specialists to the clinic. "They bring specialist doctors to run referral clinics every Monday, Wednesday and Friday," she added. Gift Gibson Natana, deputy director general at Juba Teaching Hospital, said their joint collaboration with the Chinese medical team has benefited not only the students and staff but also the families of University of Juba staff members. Undersecretary in the Ministry of Health Annin Ngot Ngot Mou lauded the work and commitment of the Chinese medical team, while also appealing for expansion of their services to other universities, such as Rumbek University of Science and Technology, Upper Nile University, and University of Bahrl El-Ghazal. "This University of Juba clinic is sometimes a comprehensive medical care center, which is doing all activities, attending to out-patients and also in-patients under emergencies. The Chinese people are very committed," he said. Li Wancheng, counselor for economic and commercial affairs in the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, said that over the years, Chinese medical teams have delivered free medical services, as well as donated food and medical supplies to communities and local orphanage homes. "The team members have always been committed to improving the health and well-being of local people. These contributions made by the Chinese medical teams in South Sudan have been and will always be a valuable legacy in China-South Sudan friendship," Li said.
Arab News
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
South Sudan replaces foreign minister
JUBA: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has replaced its foreign minister with his deputy, Monday Semaya Kumba, state media reported, following a migration dispute with the United States. No explanation was given for the sacking of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohammed, which was announced on the state radio station late on Wednesday. The move follows a row with Washington over Juba's refusal to admit a Congolese man deported from the US, which led to the Trump administration threatening to revoke all US visas held by South Sudanese citizens. South Sudan yielded to Washington's demands on Tuesday and allowed the man to enter the country. Separately, a faction of South Sudan's main opposition party said on Wednesday it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with an interim leader, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, until Machar was released from house arrest. Analysts said the move, which other party members criticized, could allow Kiir to sack longstanding rival Machar and consolidate his power over the government by appointing Kuol. 'President Kiir (would) want people who would agree with him ... so that now the government's legitimacy will be created,' said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba. Machar, who has served in a power-sharing administration with Kiir since a 2018 peace deal ended a civil war between fighters loyal to the two men, was accused of trying to stir up rebellion and detained at his home last month. Machar's party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army. This ethnic militia clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, triggering the latest political crisis. African Union mediators arrived in Juba last week to try to rescue the peace deal but did not appear to have made any immediate progress. On Thursday, embassies based in Juba, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, US, and the EU, reiterated their call for the immediate release of all political detainees. 'South Sudan's leaders must meet their obligations and demonstrate that their priority is peace,' they said in a joint statement. The SPLM-IO said Machar's detention had effectively voided the agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The party later said they were committed to upholding the deal. The SPLM-IO's military wing remained loyal to Machar and was 'not part and parcel of the betrayers in Juba,' its spokesperson, Lam Paul Gabriel, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
South Sudan replaces foreign minister with deputy after dispute with US
(Reuters) - South Sudan's President Salva Kiir has replaced its foreign minister with his deputy, Monday Simaya Kumba, state media reported, following a migration dispute with the United States. No explanation was given for the sacking of Foreign Minister Ramadan Mohamed, which was announced on the state radio station late on Wednesday. The move follows a row with Washington over Juba's refusal to admit a Congolese man deported from the United States, which led to the Trump administration threatening to revoke all U.S. visas held by South Sudanese citizens. South Sudan yielded to Washington's demands on Tuesday and allowed the man to enter the country. Separately, a faction of South Sudan's main opposition party (SPLM-IO) said on Wednesday it had replaced its chairman, First Vice President Riek Machar, with an interim leader, Peacebuilding Minister Stephen Par Kuol, until Machar was released from house arrest. The move, which was criticised by other members of the party, could allow Kiir to sack longstanding rival Machar and consolidate his power over the government by appointing Kuol, analysts said. "President Kiir (would) want people who would agree with him ... so that now the government's legitimacy will be created," said Kuol Abraham Nyuon, professor of political science at the University of Juba. Machar, who has served in a power-sharing administration with Kiir since a 2018 peace deal ended a civil war between fighters loyal to the two men, was accused of trying to stir up rebellion and detained at his home last month. Machar's party denies government accusations that it backs the White Army, an ethnic militia which clashed with the army in the northeastern town of Nasir last month, triggering the latest political crisis. African Union mediators arrived in Juba last week to try and rescue the peace deal, but did not appear to have made any immediate progress. On Thursday, embassies based in Juba, including France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom, United States, the European Union, reiterated their call for the immediate release of all political detainees. "It is urgent that South Sudan's leaders meet their obligations and demonstrate that their priority is peace," they said in a joint statement. The SPLM-IO said Machar's detention had effectively voided the agreement that ended the five-year civil war in which hundreds of thousands of people were killed. The party later said they were committed to upholding the deal. The SPLM-IO's military wing remained loyal to Machar, and was "not part and parcel of the betrayers in Juba", its spokesperson Lam Paul Gabriel said in a statement on Wednesday. Analysts say Kiir, 73, appears to be trying to shore up his position amid discontent within his own political camp and speculation about his succession plan.
Euronews
24-02-2025
- Climate
- Euronews
South Sudan shuts schools for two weeks after students collapse due to extreme heat
South Sudan closed all schools Thursday for two weeks due to an extreme heat wave that has caused some students to collapse. This is the second time the country - which faces extreme effects from climate change, including flooding during the rainy season - has closed schools during a heat wave in February and March. Deputy Education Minister Martin Tako Moi said 'an average of 12 students had been collapsing in Juba city every day." Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos urged residents to stay indoors and drink water as temperatures were expected to rise as high as 42 degrees Celsius. Napwon proposed that government employees 'work in shifts' to avoid heat strokes. Children are particularly vulnerable to dangerous heat Most schools in South Sudan have makeshift structures made with iron sheets and do not have electricity that could power cooling systems. ' Dangerous heat like this is catastrophic for children's physical and mental health," says Christopher Nyamandi, Country Director for Save the Children in South Sudan. "Because their bodies are still developing, they are more vulnerable to both immediate illness and lasting long-term harms that come with the intense discomfort, sleeplessness, and exhaustion we are more familiar with. " Education workers have urged the government to consider amending the school calendar so that schools close in February and resume in April when the temperatures decline. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, the dean of the Graduate College at the University of Juba, told The Associated Press that the calendar should be localised based on the weather in the 10 states. South Sudan has one of the highest rates of out-of-school children A civil society group, Integrity South Sudan, blamed the government for a lack of proper planning and contingency plans, saying that closing schools during heat waves shows a 'failure to prioritise the education of South Sudan's children.' Nyamandi adds that shutting classroom doors often means "shutting the door to a stable and healthy future". The longer children are out of school the less likely it is that they will go back. 'South Sudan already has one of the highest rates of out-of-school children in the world. It is abominable that children already bearing the brunt of poverty and inequality, who have done absolutely nothing to contribute to rising temperatures, are robbed of their basic rights," he says. "When we talk about climate justice, this is what we mean. It is time for global recognition that the climate crisis is a child rights crisis and that we need an urgent response that centres children's rights, lives and wellbeing." The country's health system is fragile due to political instability. Nearly 400,000 people were killed between 2013 and 2018 when a peace agreement was signed by President Salva Kiir and his rival-turned-deputy, Riek Machar. South Sudan's elections, scheduled for last year, were postponed for two years due to a lack of funds. The country has been facing an economic crisis due to an interruption of oil exports after a major pipeline was raptured in neighbouring war-torn Sudan. The pipeline was later repaired.
Arab News
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
South Sudan closes schools after students collapse due to extreme heat
JUBA, South Sudan: South Sudan on Thursday announced the closure of all schools for two weeks due to an ongoing extreme heatwave that has caused some students to collapse. This is the second time the country – which faces extreme effects from climate change, including flooding during the rainy season – has closed schools during a heatwave in February and March. Deputy Education Minister Martin Tako Moi said Thursday 'an average of 12 students had been collapsing in Juba city every day.' Most schools in South Sudan have makeshift structures made with iron sheets and do not have electricity that could power cooling systems. Environment Minister Josephine Napwon Cosmos on Thursday urged residents to stay indoors and drink water as temperatures were expected to rise as high as 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Napwon proposed that government employees 'work in shifts' to avoid heat strokes. Education workers have urged the government to consider amending the school calendar so that schools close in February and resume in April when the temperatures decline. Abraham Kuol Nyuon, the dean of the Graduate College at the University of Juba, told The Associated Press that the calendar should be localized based on the weather in the 10 states. A civil society group, Integrity South Sudan, blamed the government for a lack of proper planning and contingency plans, saying that closing schools during heatwaves shows a 'failure to prioritize the education of South Sudan's children.' The country's health system is fragile due to political instability. Nearly 400,000 people were killed between 2013 and 2018 when a peace agreement was signed by President Salva Kiir and his rival-turned-deputy, Riek Machar. South Sudan's elections, scheduled for last year, were postponed for two years due to a lack of funds. The country has been facing an economic crisis due to an interruption of oil exports after a major pipeline was raptured in neighboring war-torn Sudan. The pipeline was later repaired.
