Duke University (USA) Restricts Travel to South Sudan
3 min readOfficials monitoring situation in newly independent country
Durham, NC – Duke University is restricting travel to the newly created Republic of South Sudan because of unsettled conditions in the area following elections that led to its independence.
South Sudan became an independent state on July 9 and with border areas and the government in transition, the Duke International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) has voted to restrict travel during this time.
The region had been on Duke’s Restricted Travel List prior to independence when it was part of Sudan. Duke’s presence in the region is currently small – primarily several collaborations involving Duke Divinity graduate students – but faculty members have expressed hopes for expanding ties with the new country, including a possible DukeEngage course.
Undergraduates must petition and be granted a waiver to use university funds for travel or participate in programs in South Sudan. Undergraduates who receive a travel waiver must still register their travel and sign a High Risk Travel Waiver/Release Form prior to completing their travel plans.
Graduate, professional and post-docs do not need to petition for a waiver of the restriction, but they are required to register their travel and provide a High Risk Travel Waiver/Release Form prior to departure. Faculty and staff are strongly encouraged to register their travel plans, and all travelers should carry their Duke-ISOS membership card while traveling abroad.
Duke’s International Travel Oversight Committee will continue to monitor the situation in South Sudan by seeking guidance from its travel insurance provider, consulting with various governmental warnings and advisories, and communicating with faculty/staff that travel to the country during this time of transition. This restriction will be reviewed periodically and if a change is warranted it can be modified at any time.
The country of North Sudan continues to have a full-country restriction in place as well as federal Office of Export Controls sanctions. Travelers must check with the Office of Export Controls when considering travel to North Sudan.
The Duke International Travel Policy for restricted countries is the same as for South Sudan.
For more information, contact Christy Michels at 684-2910 or email christy.parrish@duke.edu.
http://today.duke.edu/2011/09/sudantravel
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