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Malakal – Al-Wadi Newspaper
The city of Malakal witnessed a peaceful protest on Thursday morning organized by a group of young people from the state, calling for the return of Upper Nile University to the city after it was relocated to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, several years ago under the pretext of insecurity in the state.
Protesters carried banners reading, “Bring Upper Nile University Back to Malakal,” expressing their rejection of the university’s continued absence from the state. They questioned why the situation remains unchanged, pointing out that “Bahr El Ghazal University is in Wau, and the University of Juba is in Juba—so why is Upper Nile University not in Malakal?”
The demonstrators urged Upper Nile State Governor Jacob Dollar, who was recently appointed, to take immediate action to restore the university to its original location, stressing that the university’s presence in Malakal is vital for reconstruction, development, and building a better future for the youth of the state.
One of the banners read, “Is Malakal not safe enough for the university to return? If so, is South Sudan as a whole safe?”—a statement rejecting the security-related justifications delaying the university’s return.
A protester said, “How long will students have to travel far to study at a university that rightfully belongs in their own community? We want Upper Nile University back in Malakal.”
Another added, “How can we rebuild Upper Nile State without its university? What is a home without its university? We deserve to have our university back.”
These demands come amid growing community calls to restore educational and public institutions to Malakal as part of broader efforts toward reconstruction and stability in the state.
