Protests in West Kordofan against transfer of teachers

Residents of Lagawa took to the streets on Wednesday, in a mass demonstration against the transfer of eight teachers and a doctor. They stressed their solidarity with the people holding a sit-in at the town’s Freedom Square since November last year.

Mohamed Hassan, spokesman for the Freedom Square protesters, told Dabanga that government facilities, the market and shops were closed, “because the employees and the vendors joined the demonstration. Representatives of the native administration, as well as people from the neighbouring villages, participated too.”

He explained that the demonstration took place in reaction to the decision by the state Ministry of Education to move eight basic and secondary school teachers from Lagawa to El Fula, capital of West Kordofan, and the transferral of a doctor by the Ministry of Health.

“The demonstrators will continue protesting until the forced transfers are cancelled,” Hassan reported.  “The teachers themselves threaten to submit their resignation, if the Ministry does not come back on its decision.”

Basic services

Almost three months ago, residents of Lagawa started a sit-in at the Freedom Square, demanding the improvement of basic services, such as clean drinking water, electricity, roads, and the health and education sectors. They said that they will not stop protesting until their demands are met.

In January, young West Kordofani activists accused the authorities of using tax money for purposes other than the basic services in the state. They told El Jareeda newspaper that the people of Lagawa and of at least 35 villages in the vicinity will boycott the upcoming April polls.