General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, on Wednesday issued a decision sucking Sudanese ambassadors to six countries, the official Sudan TV reported.

The decision, announced late on Wednesday on state media, included Sudan’s ambassadors to the United States, the European Union, China, Qatar, France and the head of the country’s mission to the Swiss city of Geneva, apparently over their rejection of the military takeover, Aljazeera said..

On Monday, Al-Burhan declared a state of emergency across the country, dissolved the transitional Sovereign Council and the government, and relieved the state governors.

Demonstrators have taken to the street in Khartoum, rejecting the measures announced by Al-Burhan and demanding a civilian government. Since the announcement of foiling a coup attempt on Sept. 21, the differences between the military and the transitional government have continued to escalate.

Striking teachers in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo will be replaced with new ones, an order has been issued by the Acting Secretary General of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST).

The 2021-2022 school year started on Monday 04 October last throughout the country.

However, teachers in some parts of the country decided to begin the school year with a strike making various demands.

They ask the government to improve their salary conditions according to what was agreed when the free education started.

Students are bored in classrooms. No teacher shows up to give the teachings. In addition, some teachers deplore intimidation from the supervisory authorities.

Odon Mulanda Kipembe Acting Secretary General of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST), called on the teachers to cease the strike and return to classes to teach.

He has also instructed these educational provinces to establish the report of absence for teachers absent at the time of the control and, at the same time, to proceed to their deactivation from the payroll file as well as their replacement by the new units.

On Monday, a meeting is scheduled between the coordinators of the Catholic conventional schools and the Minister of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education (EPST), Tony Mwaba.

Salary increase

From this year, 20,000 Congolese francs (10 dollars) will be added to teachers’ salaries and an additional 10 dollars as a so-called “bush” bonus, exclusively for teachers working in rural areas.

These additions will bring the average teacher’s salary down to around U$ 185 per month. According to the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the civil service, this is a gesture which proves the “good faith” of the government.

For their part, teachers are still waiting for the application of the second step of the gradual increase in salaries as agreed with the government two years ago. This will be one of the hot topics of the commission between the government and the labor organizations that will be set up.

The first salary increase in September 2019 had made it possible to increase at the time from 170,000 to 360,000 Congolese francs.

It should also be noted that the first stage of negotiations closed on Thursday in Kinshasa. Even if a lot remains to be done from the point of view of teachers who still plead for the improvement of their socio-professional conditions, there has been progress.

The government has pledged to include the phased retirement of teachers and administrative staff in next year’s budget. He also promised to pay the end-of-career indemnities of 1,342 teachers retired since 1984.

Every Congolese teacher is scheduled to receive an extra U$20 (40,000 CFA) above the usual take home monthly salary.

Jean-Pierre Lihau the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Public Service, modernization and innovation of public services on Thursday announced the government pledge saying it aimed at helping each teacher to meet so many or little to their concerns.

The revision of teachers’ salaries was reached during the Bibwa agreement signed in 2019. This was also a campaign pledge by President Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo who sought to gradually meet the challenges of rehabilitating the teacher to improve the Congolese education system.

According to Jean-Pierre Lihau this sum of money, which will shortly be made available to teachers, is divided into two installments, in particular 20,000 CFA on salary and 20,000 CFA as bonus.

To find a total solution to all the teachers’ demands, Lihau announced the urgent establishment of an interministerial commission-trade union ban for primary, secondary and technical education ( EPST) under the leadership of Prime Minister Sama Lukonde, in order to continue the discussions of the joint government-trade union commission, which was delayed by one day.

To this end, he said that a ministerial and interministerial decree was signed on Friday setting up the interministerial government-trade union commission to complete the discussions to allow the government to meet the relevant concerns and proposals from teachers.

Schools in DRC will reopen on October 4 after a long closure due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions aimed at stopping further spread of the virus.