Primary Leaving Examinations in Renk County in South Sudan’s Upper Nile state will kick off Monday 9 March.

County Education Director Kak Akol told Radio Tamazuj that students couldn’t sit for examinations last year due to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan.

He said students will sit for the examinations although a large number of candidates fled along with their families to Sudan due to insecurity in the area.

Akol pointed out that the education department has not yet obtained an accurate number of candidates who will sit for the primary examinations.

He added about seven examinations centres were set up in Renk, Jalhak, and Geiger areas.

“We have five centres here in Renk, one centre in Geiger and another centre in Jalhak. So the exams will reach on Thursday to the centres,” he said.

He called on students to report themselves to those centres. Akol also urged parents and guardians to encourage their children to sit for the exams.

In February, Renk County Commissioner Lual Deng Chol told Radio Tamazuj that primary examinations were negatively affected by shelling of Renk by the rebels.

He added the rebel shelling from the west bank of the Nile had injured 14 people, destroyed about 18 houses and forced hundreds to flee the town.