Four primary school teachers in Rumbek East County have been arrested for allegedly inciting pupils to strike and attacking officials and community leaders, a local official said.
Hundreds of pupils in Rumbek East County of Lakes State last Thursday staged peaceful protests over non-payment of volunteer teachers’ salaries.
Isaac Magual, the Director of Education in Rumbek East County, told Radio Tamazuj on Monday that the four teachers were arrested by security personnel last Friday. He said the whereabouts of the detained teachers remain unknown.
“Two teachers were first arrested for attacking people in a meeting. This occurred after the government ministers of general education and minister of cabinet affairs held a meeting with angry teachers in Pacong on Friday,” he said.” The other two were later arrested because they were inciting students in other counties to join the strike. So they were arrested by security agents.”
He identified the four teachers as Marial Macuei Mading, Mayor Apac, James Malith Malual, and Daniel Deng Mabor.
“The detained teachers were taken to the State capital Rumbek by the security forces and their whereabouts are unknown,” he said.
“I am doing a tour around the schools in Rumbek East County and the schools are operating normally and teaching has resumed,” he added.
When contacted for comment, the acting minister of information in Lakes State, William Kirjok, said, however, only two teachers have been detained in Rumbek East.
“Only two teachers who were arrested for assaulting people during the meeting organized by the ministers of cabinet affairs and general education with the community leaders and teachers in Pacong and their problem is solved and the schools are operating normally,” he said.
“There is news circulating on social media that five have been arrested. This is not true. The teachers that have been arrested in Rumbek East County are two, and they are being detained by the security for investigation,” he added.
When asked about the reason for the teachers’ arrest, the official said: “They were arrested due to an attack against community leaders during the meeting before the ministers of education and that of cabinet affairs in Pacong.”
Family members of some of the arrested teachers declined to speak for fear of repercussions.