Schools in South Sudan reopened countrywide after having been closed for more than a year to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The announcement was made by South Sudan's Ministry of General Education and Instruction Awut Deng Achuil on Monday in the capital, Juba.

Mr Achuil "urged parents to encourage their children to go back to school", the privately owned Radio Tamazuj reported.

The UN's children's agency Unicef said it was commitment to working with the country's education ministry "to ensure learning continues".

"We share in the excitement of the children, their teachers & the parents that finally the doors of our schools can reopen for children to learn, play and enjoy their right to safe education," Unicef said on Twitter.