A South African university is training South Sudan government leaders in international law, security and other affairs of state as the region prepares for a 2011 independence referendum, university officials said.
The first 16 South Sudanese arrive on Sunday to begin a two-month course specially designed for South Sudan, JP Roodt, a spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
After decades of war, a 2005 peace agreement ended Sudan's north-south conflict.
The referendum for the south's independence is part of the peace agreement.
Next month, presidential and general elections across Sudan - the first multi-party vote in more than two decades - will be closely watched for signs of how free and fair the independence referendum will be.
Leon Mouton, deputy director of the university's Business School Leadership Academy, said the South African program will help high-ranking senior South Sudanese government officials contribute to reconstruction, development and security in their troubled homeland.
"Extensive capacity building, along with economic and infrastructure development, delivery of basic services, and security, is key if South Sudan is to become prosperous, either as part of Sudan or as an independent country," Mouton said.
Britain's Africa Educational Trust linked the South Sudanese with the South African school and is funding the training, Roodt said.
"We also had several excursions where we met with the South Sudanese government to identify their exact needs and to tailor-make the training program," Roodt said.
The program is planned to run until 2015.
Source: Independent.
Link: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Africa&set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20100312102655446C640553.
The first 16 South Sudanese arrive on Sunday to begin a two-month course specially designed for South Sudan, JP Roodt, a spokesman for the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, told The Associated Press on Thursday.
After decades of war, a 2005 peace agreement ended Sudan's north-south conflict.
The referendum for the south's independence is part of the peace agreement.
Next month, presidential and general elections across Sudan - the first multi-party vote in more than two decades - will be closely watched for signs of how free and fair the independence referendum will be.
Leon Mouton, deputy director of the university's Business School Leadership Academy, said the South African program will help high-ranking senior South Sudanese government officials contribute to reconstruction, development and security in their troubled homeland.
"Extensive capacity building, along with economic and infrastructure development, delivery of basic services, and security, is key if South Sudan is to become prosperous, either as part of Sudan or as an independent country," Mouton said.
Britain's Africa Educational Trust linked the South Sudanese with the South African school and is funding the training, Roodt said.
"We also had several excursions where we met with the South Sudanese government to identify their exact needs and to tailor-make the training program," Roodt said.
The program is planned to run until 2015.
Source: Independent.
Link: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_Africa&set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=nw20100312102655446C640553.
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