Uganda to create jobs for teachers in South Sudan

19 October 2011 (KAMPALA) – Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni says his country will send teachers to South Sudan as an effort to help the new nation build its human capacity and recover from decades of conflict that have badly affected literacy and the education system.

Speaking at the opening of a leaders retreat for his ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) on Monday in the town of Kyanykwanzi, president Museveni said this will aid job creation for his citizens.

South Sudan’s independence and its chronic underdevelopment have provided a potential job market for East African countries. Many East Africans have flocked to the world’s newest nation, in some cases taking jobs in private and public sector away from graduates from South Sudan.

“Our brothers and sisters in Southern Sudan have just got their freedom from the Arab colonialism. They are building their educational system. Our people [teachers], after consulting the government of Southern Sudan, could go there and make their contribut[ion],” Museveni said in a speech that took him nearly two hours to deliver.

In a referendum in January, the south Sudanese population overwhelmingly voted for independence as part of a peace deal that ended decades of north-south conflict. South Sudan took up arms against Khartoum due to Arabisation, economic and political marginalisation, and the introduction of the Islamic Shari’a law.

The south Sudanese, who generally have a more African identity than north Sudan, practice Africa beliefs and Christianity, although a minority are Muslim. Before Sudan was eventually granted independence as one country in 1956, the British colonial power considered merging South Sudan into British East Africa.

Uganda sided with South Sudan during its civil war with Khartoum and now hosts some of the rebel groups who are fighting against the Sudanese government in Darfur.

Earlier this month Sudan’s vice-president Ali Osman Mohamed Taha accused the Ugandan president of seeking to change the regime in Khartoum as part of his broader agendas to halt Arab advances in Africa.

South Sudan has chosen English as its national language – despite the fact very few of its citizens are fluent – in an attempt to define itself against its northern neighbour. During the civil war schools in government controlled areas were taught in Arabic while in SPLM areas English or local languages were used.

Having seceded from a member of the Arab League, South Sudan is entitled to join the ethnically based body, but it is not expected to do so. More focus appears to be on Juba securing membership of the east African Community.

Earlier this year South Sudan education ministry announced that illiteracy had reduced to 73%. Efforts made by the Sudan Tribune to reach South Sudan’s undersecretary for the ministry of higher education for comment failed.

President Museveni is meeting his party leaders as pressure mounts on his government about allegation of corrupt oil contracts. The Ugandan parliament, whose majority are NRM members, voted unanimously last week to ask the three accused ministers to quite over alleged oil bribes.

(ST)