Ambassador Deng asks Uganda to scrap student visas for S.Sudanese nationals
Written by GEOFREY SERUGO
Ambassador Deng
The Ambassador of South Sudan to Uganda Simon Deng has asked Ugandan authorities to stop asking Sudanese nationals to pay for a student pass (a type of visa for international students).
Deng said this during South Sudanese Independence Day celebrations which were held at Las Vegas hotel in Kampala. Deng says all nationals within the East Africa Community (EAC) have open visas to all member states they wish to travel to.
Deng said this during South Sudanese Independence Day celebrations which were held at Las Vegas hotel in Kampala. Deng says all nationals within the East Africa Community (EAC) have open visas to all member states they wish to travel to.
He said however South Sudanese students studying at higher learning institutions in Uganda are being subjected to paying $100 student passes which is against East African Community policies as member states are exempted from this fee.
“Our students in Uganda are still paying a student pass which is almost $100 per student and yet these are members of the East Africa community. So we are trying to find out what’s happening there because as members of the same community, we should enjoy the right,” Deng said.
He also commented about the recent decision by the South Sudan National Bureau of Standards (SSNBS) to impound 65 Ugandan trucks transporting maize to South Sudan. The trucks were impounded last month at the Nimule-Elegu border post on allegations that the quality of some of the maize was compromised.
SSNBS alleged that the maize contained aflatoxins of over 10bpp, a high measure of abundance of b-propeller phytases (bpp) and therefore, unsuitable for human consumption.
“There have been a lot of things happening, especially with regard to trade on the issue of impounded trucks that matter has now been addressed at the highest level, where we have called for close cooperation between the South Sudan Bureau of Standards and Uganda Bureau of Standards so that goods going from Uganda to South Sudan are certified,” he said.
He said there were a few issues that could have been managed differently but now both countries have learned. The minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hillary Onek urged the South Sudanese to emulate the example from Uganda and work together.
He said when South Sudan is successful, prosperous, and peaceful, all its citizens will enjoy it.
“If you don’t allow this prosperity, peace and harmony to coexist in your country because of small different languages and greed and all kinds of division, you will destroy that beautiful country,” said Onek.
Culled From The Observer.
