S. Sudan, Zimbabwe to deepen ties through education

September 17, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan and Zimbabwe have agreed to deepen relations through exchange programs in education.

Speaking to reporters in the capital, Juba on Tuesday, the higher education minister, Yien Oral Lam Tut thanked the Zimbabwean government an initiative that has seen several South Sudanese students enroll in various universities in the South African nation.

“Our bilateral relations will continue and our universities will still be linked with universities of Zimbabwe. South Sudan’s higher education is still an eight-year-old baby that is still moving ahead but we are pleased that our counterparts and friends are still assisting,” he said.

On Monday, a high-level delegation from Harare led by Zimbabwe’s vice president, Kembo Mohadi arrived in the capita, Juba and held discussions with officials centered on issues like the revitalized peace deal implementation, agriculture, education and foreign relations.

Victor Muzvidziwa, a representative of the Zimbabwean higher education minister, said his country was willing to help train and build capacity of South Sudanese through educational exchanges.

“We hope to even deepen the exchange relations between our two nations and to ensure that as we travel this journey, we are co-partners in ensuring that education will make a big difference to the industrialization and modernization of our nations,” he remarked.

This year, nearly 70 South Sudanese students have graduated from various Zimbabwe universities and 79 are still pursuing their studies.

South Sudan, a nation hit by civil war since 2013, has one of the world’s highest illiteracy rates.

(ST)