Lagawa citizens in Sudan’s West Kordofan state yesterday staged protests against transfer orders given to some government employees allegedly because they had been participating in sit-in protests in the town.

For about three months local youths have occupied the Lagawa town square demanding the government to improve basic services to citizens or they will not participate in Sudan's elections scheduled for April.

Ali Musa, an employee at Lagawa Hospital, told Radio Tamazuj that the state government has taken a decision to transfer some employees participating in the strike. He said the decision is politically motivated.

Ali who is also director of the HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases Centre in Lagawa further said he was ordered to report to the health ministry’s headquarters within 24 hours. He disclosed that a similar decision was also issued by the ministry of education by transferring several teachers.

Ali identified the transferred teachers as Mohamed Tahir, Mohamed Ali Jame, Ghada, Mohamed Ahmed, Bakhit El Tom, Fatima Deifallah, Jawahir Khalid, and Abdel-Azim Fadul Nasir as well as Fatima El Hassan.

He described the transfers as “arbitrary”. He asserted that they will reject the decision even if it will lead to their dismissal.