Port Sudan, February 18 (Darfur24)
The head of the European Union delegation to Sudan, Wolfram Vetter, has warned against plans to hold parallel secondary school certificate examinations in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), describing the move as an “implicit call for secession.”
The warning came after the Sudan Founding Alliance government announced on Monday that it had completed technical, administrative, and security arrangements to conduct the 2026 Sudanese Certificate exams in territories under its control. If implemented, this would mark the first time such exams have been organized there since the outbreak of the war three years ago.
Writing on Facebook, Vetter cautioned that establishing parallel examinations in RSF-held areas risks creating separate educational structures, which he said could deepen divisions within the country. He emphasized that the EU supports Sudan’s unity and opposes measures that could institutionalize fragmentation, including the establishment of separate education systems. He emphasized the importance of preserving the national character of education and protecting students’ futures nationwide.
Vetter added that safeguarding young people’s education must remain a priority and that students should not bear the consequences of wartime political divisions.
The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee also voiced concern over what it called a unilateral plan by the “de facto government in Nyala” to organize secondary certificate exams in areas under its authority. The committee warned that such steps could undermine the unity and credibility of the national education process.
Since fighting erupted in April 2023, secondary school certificate exams have not been conducted in RSF-controlled parts of Kordofan and Darfur, while exams have proceeded twice in areas under army control.