Three teachers detained, summoned by Sudan’s NISS

Members of the Federal Teachers' Committee in Khartoum were detained by the security service on Monday after they demanded the working environment in schools to improve. Teachers in West Kordofan are planning to strike for the rest of this week.

Teacher Ammar Yousef, member of the executive federal office of the committee, was detained from his house in El Kalakla neighbourhood. Teachers Hamdi Bolad and Tareg Maman of the Federal Teachers’ Committee were summoned by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) yesterday.

Yasir Ali, the head of the committee, said in an interview with Radio Dabanga that the detention and summoning of his fellow members is an attempt by the NISS to suppress any move the teachers make to demand their legitimate rights to improve the working environment in the Sudanese schools. Ali demanded their release or a fair trial, so they can return to their families and exercise their work.

“Any teacher has the right to express his or her opinion. The arrest is incommensurate with the political atmosphere of the National Dialogue in Sudan. The arrests will increase rather than resolve the problem.”

The committee head explained that the exam period approaches, in which teachers need all powers and possibilities in order “to push the educational process forward”.

Strike announced

The Teachers Union and education workers in West Kordofan have announced a strike from Wednesday until Sunday, to protest against the non-payment of their financial arrears by the government.

In a letter to the Minister of Education in the state, the union threatened with the strike in the event the Ministry fails to pay the dues. The strike is planned to cover all localities.

West Kordofan's teachers also went on strike in October to demand the payment of their salaries, in Abu Zabad locality. Their strike lasted several days, too, until the state government paid their salaries.