South Sudan’s Vice President, Hussein Abdelbagi Akol, has issued a one-month ultimatum to squatters occupying school lands across the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Juba, Akol stated that several structures had been erected on and around public schools, and that the illegal occupants must vacate within four weeks, or face the demolition of their structures.
The Vice President has directed state authorities to provide detailed information on illegally occupied school land, and said that the government will apply the law against those who refuse to comply with the directive.
In his words:
“The government has noted that squatters have encroached on school land in Juba city, major towns in the states across the country, and indeed in remote areas. They (trespassers) have unfortunately turned these premises into business places instead of learning areas.”
Awut Deng Acuil, the Minister of General Education, said the practice hurts the future of learners, as squatters have turned school premises into business places.
The ultimatum comes after a section of Juba One Girls and Boys Primary and Secondary School was turned into a business center in November 2022.
