Gireida, South Darfur, imposes fees for ‘protection’
The commissioner of Gireida locality, South Darfur, has imposed fees on teachers, internally displaced people, and house owners, under the pretext that he wants to buy weapons, ammunition, and vehicles to protect the area from armed movements.Activists told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that the decision contradicts the Constitution and the law, and called for repealing it immediately. Teacher Adam Zein Abdel Banat, the head of the Gireida teachers’ union, said the locality commissioner issued a decision whereby he imposes SDG 50 ($8.7) on each teacher’s salary, SDG 20 ($3.5) on each household, and SDG 10 ($1.8) is deducted from each food card of the displaced people for three months. “This decision was handed over to him, to the heads of districts in Gireida town, the camp Sheikhs, and the payroll office,” Banat told Radio Dabanga. The office deducted SDG 100 ($17.4) from the salary of each teacher in June and July. The teacher reported that his union issued a statement on Thursday in which it rejected the commissioner’s decision. The statement pointed out that the city’s protection and the buying of weapons are the responsibilities of the state, and not of the teachers and displaced people. File photo: One of the camps for internally displaced people in Gireida locality (Albert González Farran / Unamid) Related: Gireida, South Darfur: armed robberies, prices soar, rations reduced (22 June 2014)
The commissioner of Gireida locality, South Darfur, has imposed fees on teachers, internally displaced people, and house owners, under the pretext that he wants to buy weapons, ammunition, and vehicles to protect the area from armed movements.
Activists told Radio Dabanga on Wednesday that the decision contradicts the Constitution and the law, and called for repealing it immediately.
Teacher Adam Zein Abdel Banat, the head of the Gireida teachers’ union, said the locality commissioner issued a decision whereby he imposes SDG 50 ($8.7) on each teacher’s salary, SDG 20 ($3.5) on each household, and SDG 10 ($1.8) is deducted from each food card of the displaced people for three months. “This decision was handed over to him, to the heads of districts in Gireida town, the camp Sheikhs, and the payroll office,” Banat told Radio Dabanga. The office deducted SDG 100 ($17.4) from the salary of each teacher in June and July.
The teacher reported that his union issued a statement on Thursday in which it rejected the commissioner’s decision. The statement pointed out that the city’s protection and the buying of weapons are the responsibilities of the state, and not of the teachers and displaced people.
File photo: One of the camps for internally displaced people in Gireida locality (Albert González Farran / Unamid)
Related: Gireida, South Darfur: armed robberies, prices soar, rations reduced (22 June 2014)
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