Arabic Pattern Students Feel being Discriminated

JUBA – The Arabic pattern students of University of Juba feel that they are being discriminated in the government institutions whenever they apply for jobs. The students stated this last Friday during a political rally which was held in the University of Juba ground by the Modern Southern Front (MSF) on its 11th anniversary which was attended by politicians of different political parties including the leader of the opposition Onyoti Adigo. Chairperson of MSF Kerubino Dut said many of the graduates who learned in Arabic are just idling in the streets of Juba without jobs because they were being discriminated in the government institutions since they only have certificates in Arabic and they don’t know English. They said they cannot work in the South because of this language barrier. A complainant added that it was not their wish to go to Khartoum or any other part of Sudan to learn Arabic but they were there because of the civil war. MSF is an independent student organization active in the universities and institutions of higher learning. It was founded in El-Nilein University on the 17th of Feb. 2001 on basis of a political programme that addressed the southern Sudanese students to impose on them the importance of the struggle using peaceful means in order to advance the cause of the South especially the exercise of the southerners’ right to self-determination under the international law.Last week the students of University of Juba Arabic pattern protested against the lectures being offered in English only without any translation because they do not understand them since they were learning in Khartoum in Arabic.  A similar protest was witnessed in Bahr El Ghazal University in Wau. The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan recognizes English as the official language of the country.   Meanwhile Dut stressed that most of the lecturers are from East Africa and they do not know Arabic so it has become very hard for them to communicate and understand each other with the students and this is the “challenge that the students are facing”. He urged the government of South Sudan to employ Arabic graduates in the ministries where Arabic is still necessary and name them as interior, foreign affairs and embassies abroad. He also said many other government offices can still engage them as translators. Dut further suggested that the government should create institutions where English can be taught to Arabic speakers.