The South Sudan Islamic Council and the Sudanese Authority for Preaching and Ansar Affairs on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Juba to spread the message of Islam.

The ceremony was attended by Bansio Amum Deng, the First Deputy Secretary-General of the South Sudan Islamic Council. Sheikh Mohammed Kuol Kuot, Secretary General of Jurisprudence, Da’wah and Guidance, signed on behalf of the Islamic Council of South Sudan, while Sheikh Amir Al-Jazouli Mohammed signed on behalf of the Sudanese Authority for Ansar Affairs.

The main provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding include strengthening institutional cooperation in the areas of Islamic outreach and religious guidance; organizing joint conferences, seminars, and awareness-raising activities; and exchanging publications, research, and practical materials related to awareness and guidance work.

Sheikh Kuol Kuot said the Islamic Council welcomes international, regional, and private initiatives from sister nations such as Sudan.

For his part, Sheikh Amir al-Jazouli, representative of the Sudanese Ansar Affairs Authority, explained that there is an agreement between the Islamic Council in South Sudan and the Ansar Affairs Authority to spread Islamic teachings, which prompted the head of state to intervene to protect Muslims and the Islamic call.

Meanwhile, Bansio Amum Deng, First Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Council, acknowledged that South Sudan is a gateway for spreading the Arabic language to East Africa. He said there are Muslims in East Africa who do not speak Arabic.