Students at the University of Bahr el Ghazal in Wau protested Friday morning after the school administration raised annual tuition fees, a move they say many cannot afford.
Demonstrators gathered outside the university, holding signs demanding a reduction in fees. Security forces were deployed but no violence was reported.
Makuch Michael Agany, one of the protesting students, told Radio Tamazuj that the new fees are too high for most students.
“The administration imposed a huge increase that is unmanageable,” Agany said. “General intake students now pay 1.8 million South Sudanese pounds (SSP) for tuition and university development funds, with additional requirements bringing the total to 2.5 million SSP. Private students are charged $1,000, which converts to 6.7 million SSP.”
Agany said the hike could force many to drop out.
“Our income levels cannot afford this,” he said. “Increasing tuition to 6 million SSP will push students out of school.”
He added that the protest remained peaceful, with students only displaying posters and calling for government intervention.
Another student, Malueth Madut Ngor, said demonstrators were waiting for a response from state or national authorities.
“We are on the streets, waiting for either the national government or the Western Bahr el Ghazal state government to address our demands,” Ngor said.
Peter Wayiel Jal, another protester, confirmed security forces were present but said there was no confrontation.
“Police and National Security Service officers are on the ground, but students are just standing at the administration gate with posters,” Jal said.
South Sudanese universities have faced repeated protests over tuition increases in recent years.
Stephen Robo Musa, a local activist with the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization, urged compromise, citing the country’s economic struggles.
“We are in an economic crisis,” Musa said. “Civil servants go unpaid for months, affecting families’ ability to pay fees. Leadership must find a solution.”
The university administration could not be reached for comment.