Teachers protest over unpaid wages as Sudan committee warns of widening unrest

May 25, Kassala— Female teachers took to the streets in Kassala on Sunday to demand payment of overdue wages, as the Sudanese Teachers Committee warned of escalating protests across multiple states over delayed and meagre salaries.

The committee accused the federal Ministry of Finance and state governments of deepening the teachers’ economic crisis, saying a number of teachers have yet to receive their April salaries, while others received what it described as “paltry and incomplete” payments with no adjustments.

According to the committee, an entry-level teacher at the ninth grade earns approximately 60,000 Sudanese pounds — the equivalent of around $14 — while a first-grade teacher with more than 30 years of service earns no more than 220,000 pounds, or roughly $53.

The committee warned that continued deprivation of salaries and Eid bonuses “will lead to an explosion of legitimate anger among education sector workers,” and called on all teachers to prepare to demand their rights through peaceful means.

It said Kassala state has not yet paid April salaries, while secondary examination allowances for 2026 in Gezira state remain unpaid after more than a month. Salary arrears in Khartoum and Sennar states have reached approximately ten months, with similar situations reported in Central Darfur and Blue Nile. The committee noted that Eid bonuses have become “promises and procrastination” as families face severe economic hardship ahead of Eid al-Adha.

Protests already under way in Northern State and Kassala are expected to spread to Gezira, White Nile, Blue Nile, Khartoum, and states across Darfur and Kordofan, the committee said.

It held the federal finance minister responsible for what it called “systematic abuse” of teachers’ rights, saying the transfer of salary responsibilities to state governments had worsened the crisis and created wide disparities in pay across different regions.