Khartoum teachers’ protest demands salaries

March’s delayed salary payments for teachers have sparked teacher unions in Sudan to publicly issue their complaints. In Khartoum, teachers held a sit-in in front of the Ministry of Education on Thursday.

Dozens of teachers in Khartoum state carried out the sit-in in front of the buildings of the ministry to protest the delay of salaries of March.

During the sit-in, protesters handed over a memorandum to the state’s education minister, demanding payment as well as other arrears and wage increases which they state that teachers are entitled to.

Duriya Babikir, one of the leading members of the Teachers’ Committee, described the sit-in as successful. “There were teachers from various localities in Khartoum present here.”

She said that the state minister addressed the crowd and promised to pay the salaries to teachers in all the localities. “The minister has backed away, however, from the ministry’s responsibility for the increase in salaries – protesters rejected this announcement,” according to Babikir.

Also teachers in South Darfur complained two weeks ago to the state governor as their salaries had not yet been paid. In February, secondary school teachers in Khartoum state embarked on a strike in protest against the non-payment of their salaries.