Wad Banda, January 12 (Darfur24)
The Rapid Support Forces arrested three teachers in Wad Banda, West Kordofan State, after they refused to resume teaching following an RSF decision to reopen schools in the locality, sources said on Sunday.
According to the sources, the RSF decided in the last week of December to reopen schools in Wad Banda and informed teachers they must return to work, warning that refusal would result in prosecution.
Sources told Darfur24 that the forces summoned three teachers, accusing them of refusing to teach after the announcement of the start of the school year, as well as inciting other teachers to oppose the decision. Teachers were also reportedly threatened with removal from the area if they did not comply with orders to resume school activities.
In response, the Sudanese Teachers Committee condemned the targeting of educators and their involvement in the ongoing conflict.
“We categorically reject the arrest of teachers under the pretext of cooperating with the other side, an accusation practiced by all parties to the war in their respective areas of control, through which blood has been shed, families displaced, honor violated, and people deprived of their basic rights,” committee spokesperson Sami al-Baqir told Darfur24.
Al-Baqir called on the warring parties to stop using teachers as tools in the conflict, adding: “Teachers should not be forced to work under the current circumstances the country is experiencing.”
“This cannot be achieved through the current polarization, which deepens the education crisis rather than solving it. Education must be kept out of the conflict so it can remain a pillar of national unity and a tool for repairing the social fabric,” he stressed.