Egypt offers new embassy building to South Sudan

JUBA – The Egyptian government has offered a new embassy building to South Sudan, Egypt’s top envoy in Juba has told the minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation.

Ties between the two countries date back to the seventies when Egypt offered to take in hundreds of South Sudanese students to study on government scholarships in various universities.

Those ties have continued to grow deeper after South Sudan gained its independence from Sudan in 2011. As of today, thousands of South Sudanese students are enrolled in Egyptian universities and higher institutes.

Egypt has also continued to offer humanitarian and health assistance to South Sudan as medical supplies have continued to be flown in especially during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation said Minister Mayiik Ayii Deng met the Egyptian ambassador to South Sudan, Mohamed Elmoatez Mostafa and discussed relations between the two countries.

The statement said that the Egyptian envoy informed the minister that a new embassy building has been offered to the world’s youngest country in the new administrative capital.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Mayiik Ayii Deng met in his office with the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Mohamed Elmoatez Mostafa Abdelkader and discussed bilateral relations between Juba and Cairo,” the statement reads in part.

“Ambassador Elmoatez informed the minister about a new office building offered by the government of Egypt to house the Embassy of the South Sudan including the Ambassador’s residence in Cairo,” the statement added.

The statement further said that the diplomatic meeting “also discussed ways of increasing scholarship opportunities for South Sudanese students aspiring to pursue their studies in Egypt.”