Conflict Disrupts Mundri Classrooms
Clashes between SPLA-IO, NAS and SSPDF forces flared in late September around Kediba, quickly spreading through Lakama’di Payam. Overnight, nearly 30,000 residents fled, and every primary classroom in Mundri East fell silent.
Displacement Strangles Exam Season
Teachers report that third-term tests never began. Lakama’di Primary School alone counted more than 500 pupils idled, while senior candidates lost the chance to earn certificates that unlock secondary places.
County statistics show 68 candidates were registered for Primary Eight in Kediba, yet only 60 sat; in Lakama’di, 12 of 32 stayed away, trapped by insecurity or distance.
Voices From the Chalkboard
“These children are paying for a conflict they did not start,” lamented teacher Martin Light, whose blackboard still lists lessons abandoned in September. He warns girls are most at risk of dropping out permanently.
Student Rebecca Keyiwo whispered that the missed exams feel final: “Nothing we say will bring them back until next year.”
Parents Count the Hidden Costs
Parent Mary Jackson, who had paid full fees, fled with four children. “We, the vulnerable, have no voice while leaders’ children study safely abroad,” she cried, urging rapid ceasefire so families can rebuild routines.
Officials Weigh Emergency Options
County education director Kennedy Anyanya said some candidates were relocated to Mundri West to salvage examinations, but transport, fear and broken communication blocked many others.
Authorities discuss make-up tests and condensed syllabi, yet Anyanya cautions that “without peace, these children’s dreams remain shattered.”
Psychosocial Toll on Young Minds
Education inspector Willson Elia observes rising trauma, illness and loss of learning materials among displaced youth, describing the crisis as a direct violation of basic rights.
Calls for Sustainable Peace
Local MP Joseline Pita Benson urged investigations into alleged looting and arrests, insisting that security and accountability are prerequisites for any academic recovery in Western Equatoria.
Community letters sent to the Deputy Governor detail burned villages, empty clinics and families hiding in forests without food or water—a humanitarian tableau that underlines the urgency of dialogue.
Until a cessation of hostilities is reached, nearly an entire cohort of Mundri children waits in limbo, their textbooks replaced by memories of flight.