Four Rumbek University of Science and Technology lecturers, who were ordered detained by Lakes State Governor Rin Tueny Mabor, have been set free after five days.
Their release on Wednesday was reportedly facilitated by acting Governor Stephen Mathiang Deng Monydit.
The four detainees were the head of Business Administration Department, Khot Manyuon, the Dean of Students Affairs, Makur Awan, the head of History and Geography Department, Joseph Muong, and the head of Statistics Department, Emmanuel Rundial.
Awan told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that he was accused of inciting students to strike. “We in the academia are not destructive. So those allegations are not true,” he said.
Academic Registrar Mathew Malou Mariec said the university welcomed media coverage and addressed the arrests. “I would like to brief you on the academic members that were arrested on May 9, 2025, as a result of a misunderstanding on administrative matters,” he said.
Lectures, which began May 2 under the 2025-2026 academic calendar, halted after the arrests. Mariec said staff demanded the lecturers’ release, prompting talks with the acting governor and a peace advisor.
“The meeting was fruitful, and after we left, the four members of the staff were released,” Mariec said. “I confirm they were released and have now resumed duties.”
Benjamin Mangar, a member of the academic staff association, thanked Radio Tamazuj for its coverage. “The situation is now calm. We thank the state government and university administration for cooperating on our colleagues’ release,” he said.
Mangar said normalcy had returned but called for dialogue to address grievances.
Civil society activist Daniel Laat Kon confirmed the release, attributing the detentions to a dispute over administrative matters. He urged dialogue to resolve tensions between staff and the administration.
“The people suspected to be behind the detention are members of the university administration, particularly the vice chancellor, over an open letter to the president of South Sudan, who is chancellor of all five public universities,” Kon said.