Foreign Ministry: UNICEF statement warns of the dangers of fragmented education systems and certificates that harm students’ futures and national unity
The government affirmed that it is monitoring the repeated attempts by the so-called “Initiative,” the political arm of the Janjaweed terrorist militia, to distort and falsify the statement issued by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regarding Sudanese national examinations, and to portray it in a way that suggests support for their political agenda or legitimizes arrangements parallel to the national education system.
In a statement, she added, “The UNICEF statement clearly affirms the right of all Sudanese students to sit for a unified and recognized national examination, and warns against the dangers of fragmented education systems and certificates that harm the future of students and the unity of the country.”
She continued, “Ironically, the very entity that targeted schools and educational institutions, occupied numerous school buildings and converted them into military barracks, forced millions of families to flee their homes, and deprived hundreds of thousands of students of regular education and the opportunity to sit for national examinations—an entity that endangered the lives of teachers and students in the areas it controls—is now attempting to exploit the suffering of these students and use it for political gain to achieve objectives unrelated to the interests of education or the future of Sudanese generations.”
The Sudanese government affirms that national examinations and certificates are administered by unified, sovereign national institutions that reflect the unity of the Sudanese state and its education system, and that it will not allow the imposition of any parallel educational reality that threatens the future of students or undermines national and international recognition of their academic qualifications.
The government reiterates its full commitment to guaranteeing the right of all Sudanese students to education and to sit for national examinations, wherever they may be, and to working with national and international partners to overcome the obstacles imposed by the war. It also affirms its determination to continue its efforts to restore security and stability and to rid all parts of Sudan of terrorist militias and the chaos they have caused, thus ensuring the return of students to their schools and their full enjoyment of their rights to education and a dignified life.
The government stated that the future of Sudan is built by its students and youth, and the state will not allow education to become hostage to a terrorist project based on violence, division, and the undermining of national institutions.