The police officers at the department of Fire Brigade in Aweil State have yesterday protested the payment of their salaries without increase.

A fire brigade officer who prefer anonymity told Radio Tamazuj that their protest comes as a result of failure by the government to pay long-anticipated increment of their salaries.  

“The protest was because of our money as fire brigade officers and it is because we always heard that other departments like police and wildlife have received their salaries with the said increase and if we try to asked our boss what about our increases he used to say our increases will be in the payment of March’s salaries not February and this surprised us,” the source said.

“Imagined today is the 19th of April yet we are not paid while our children and us are suffering of hunger,” he added.

The same officer has said that the governor and his deputy have called a meeting with them and they have been assured that their salaries will be paid with increase, but he says they were not told when.

He also admitted that traders have closed their shops and fled the market when they heard them shooting and shouting. “But we told them to return to their shops because we don’t have problem with them,” he explained.

“The governor and his deputy came and asked us to stop protests and we have listened to him and returned our guns into the store, but I don’t think we will get our money today maybe few days to come,” he said.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness who was close to the scene of events also told Radio Tamazuj that some people sustained injuries when trying to flee the market.

“I saw an old woman shot at her shoulder and I went to Aweil Civil hospital where a bullet has been removed on her by doctors, I saw that in my own eyes and not what I heard but I see it myself,” the source said.

Another source in Aweil Civil Hospital also confirmed he saw a woman being taken to the hospital shortly after the strike.

Last week, a police boss was detained in Aweil by his officers following the missing of their 11% percent of increased. He was then later released after a commander of SPLA 3rd Division intervened and talked with the officers.

Photo: A roadblock set up in Aweil during the strike