The confusion trailing closures of national borders took a different turn as Ethiopia ordered foreign students to leave the country due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Most of those affected are South Sudanese students studying on government scholarship in Ethiopia. However, the students stated that the Ethiopian government has not given them a specific period to leave the country. Speaking on the development, the Chairperson of South Sudanese Student’s Association in Ethiopia, Gatwech Nhial while confirming that the Ethiopian government has ordered all foreign students to leave the country, including S. Sudanese, said that “the Ethiopian government has requested any foreign nations to evacuate their citizens in Ethiopia including South Sudanese. We have been asked to evacuate Ethiopia within a limited time,” adding that “no days were given but we are just there waiting until there is a flight. If there is a flight tomorrow, maybe we can come.”
Unconfirmed sources at Addis Ababa said that so far all the national students have evacuated and nobody is at the premises of the campus because the order was issued by the Ministry of General Education of Ethiopia. The sources noted that “It is now only the South Sudanese students who are actually living on the campuses, but students from other neighbouring countries, adding that “we actually do not know what the government is doing about this. The only thing we know is the government approved the money. But so far everything is quiet we don’t know what is happening.”
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Reacting, the South Sudanese Minister of Higher education Denay Jock Chagor has requested the Ethiopian government to retain South Sudanese who are studying there. “The government of the Republic of South Sudan is kindly requesting you [Ethiopia] that, all South Sudanese students who are studying in Ethiopia shall remain there during this difficult time of pandemic disease Covid19,” saying that “the government of South Sudan will be responsible for their feeding and other needs.”
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Similarly, the High-Level Taskforce over the weekend directed the Ministry of Finance to act fast to ensure students in Ethiopia are supported within the shortest time. Last week, the government of South Sudan agreed to offer $3 million to students studying in coronavirus-affected countries. These countries include Zimbabwe, Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, India, and China. However, some students studying in various universities in Ethiopia said that they are yet to receive the money promised while others claimed that they are the only students still staying at the campuses of those countries affect by the coronavirus.
Kelechi Deca
Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry