Students in the capital of Upper Nile State turned out by the hundreds to protest the halt of their studies due to non-payment of the teachers.

Teachers and civil servants have not been paid dues for the months of June and July.

Sources confirmed that the state finance ministry acknowleged they are unable to make payments because of a budget deficit in the state. The sources claimed that about 70 percent of the city’s civil servants went on strike over non-payment.

Witnesses said that hundreds of primary and secondary students of gathered at Engineers Square to march in protest of the disruption to their schooling.

Security services have sought to silence reporting on the protests. They arrested two journalists working for the UN Mission in South Sudan on Wednesday morning.