Alexandria University in South Sudan: Has the Tonj branch project been halted, or is it still underway?

Written by Amna Hassan

The decision of the president of South  Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit’s establishment of Kuajok State University has elicited mixed reactions in Warrap State. While many welcomed the new university, residents of Greater Tonj expressed concern about the fate of the Alexandria University branch project in Tonj.

A number of citizens wondered whether the project had been cancelled or abandoned, while others considered the delay in its implementation to be frustrating, stressing that the residents of Tonj deserve to have a higher education institution, especially given the distance separating them from the cities of Kuajok and Wau, where students have to travel long distances to continue their university studies.

Egyptian-South Sudanese agreement to establish branches in Tonj and Juba

The facts indicate that in February 2024, the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Alexandria University and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology in South Sudan, to establish two branches of the university in Tonj and Juba.

This project comes within the framework of Egypt's commitment to supporting the education sector and human resource development in South Sudan, and to strengthening academic cooperation between the two countries.

Egypt is funding the project, and Arab Contractors is handling the implementation.

The Arab Contractors Company, one of the largest Egyptian government construction companies, is undertaking the project's work, while the Egyptian government is fully funding it, although details of the contracting procedures have not been announced.

The project was presented as an Egyptian initiative to support higher education in South Sudan, contributing to providing modern university education opportunities for young people.

Coordination is ongoing between the governments of Egypt and South Sudan.

According to available information, the office of the Vice President of South Sudan and Head of the Services Sector, Hussein Abdel-Baqi Akol, continued to coordinate with the Egyptian government to follow up on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding and to work on completing the project and starting its operation in accordance with the agreement concluded between the two sides.

This commitment was renewed in May 2026, during a meeting between the Vice President and the Egyptian Ambassador to South Sudan, Hazem Mamdouh Fawzi, where the two sides discussed the progress of the Alexandria University branch project in the city of Tonj, confirming that the project still enjoys the interest of both governments.

The project has not been cancelled, and the delay does not mean it has stopped.

Accordingly, considering the project of the Alexandria University branch in Tonj as having ended or been cancelled does not reflect reality, as international cooperation projects may be delayed for administrative or technical reasons, without this meaning abandoning them.

Officials called on the leaders of the Tong community to contact the relevant government agencies, especially the office of the Vice President, to obtain the latest updates on the project, stressing that the office is open to dialogue with the local community, and that the Vice President is ready to receive representatives of the Tong community and the Graduates Union to discuss the project at any time.

An educational vision that still exists

The relevant authorities confirmed that the establishment of a branch of Alexandria University in Tonj still represents an important strategic project for the development of higher education in South Sudan, and that joint efforts between Cairo and Juba are continuing to turn this vision into a reality that serves future generations.