Sudan teachers to escalate protests over years of unpaid wages

March 28, 2026 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese Teachers Committee (STC) said on Saturday it would begin a gradual escalation of protests over a worsening wage crisis and years of unpaid arrears.

Teachers across several states have complained of declining salaries and mounting debt since the outbreak of war in April 2023, which has severely affected living conditions and educational stability.

The committee said in a statement that the authorities’ continued neglect of educators’ demands forced them to plan a series of escalatory steps.

The plan begins with formalizing demands and submitting memos to relevant authorities, followed by field actions to be announced later. A high-level committee has been formed to manage the pressure campaign.

Sami al-Baqir, spokesperson for the STC, told Sudan Tribune that wage arrears in some states date back years, with Gezira state topping the list with debts reaching 2022.

In Gezira, the arrears include cash allowances and clothing stipends from 2022, as well as 14 months of unpaid salaries and holiday bonuses from 2023 through 2025.

White Nile state faces similar issues with unpaid dues spanning 2023 to early 2026, including housing and meal allowances for the first months of this year.

In Khartoum, some promotion-related arrears date back to 2019. Teachers in the capital are also owed partial salaries from 2023 and the bulk of their 2024 wages.

Teachers in North Kordofan are owed 11 months of pay from 2023 to 2024, while Kassala and Sennar states report massive gaps in payments for 2024 and 2025.

The Red Sea state has the fewest arrears, with only June and July 2023 salaries remaining unpaid, according to the committee.