Simon Juach Deng, South Sudan’s ambassador to Uganda, denied reports that these students were being kidnapped by unknown people. Simon talking to the press, said the students were arrested by law enforcement after being found in a crowd without identification documents.
“People were rounded up on Friday the 2nd which include about 15 South Sudanese and other nationalities and this was related to illegal stay. Our national where released except one person who didn’t have neither a passport nor a visa but about to be released.” Ambassador Deng said.
The South Sudanese Embassy in Uganda has warned its citizens living in Uganda , especially university students, to always carry their identity documents as one of the requirements in Uganda. This follows the arrest of 15 South Sudanese students from the International University of East (IUEA) in an operation by the Immigration Department of uganda over the weekend.
He also urged all South Sudanese citizens living in the Uganda not to be afraid but asked them to carry their identity documents at all times and asked all those who have expired pass visas to return them to the embassy for renewal.
Ambassador also clarified that having a visa-free agreement with Uganda does not permit overstaying beyond 90 days, emphasizing the need to seek extensions for a valid and legal stay.
Winnie Alfadhil Amon a petroleum engineering student at IUEA and one of the arrested students, said they were found without their passports and taken to Kabalagala police station where they were late release with no charge.
“ While we were at the gym working out the immigration officers came out and told us to identify our selves. We handed in our IDs because most of us where students and so they asked us for Visas something hard for anyone to carry at the Gym.” Said Winnie a South Sudan student in Uganda.
Juach appealed to the Ugandan government authorities that they should notify them in the near future when they’re going to conduct such excise in order to notify their citizens.
