Draft:Aweil Teachers' Humiliation

Aweil Teachers' Humiliation also known as Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal Teachers' Humiliation was the severe or critical beating of the teachers on January 12, 2024.

July's Salaries
The genesis of the teachers' peaceful protest started on January 2nd, 2024; after the teachers suprisingly realised that the Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State's Miinistry of General Education and the Salary Committee gave them the doctored salaries figures. "After we realised that our salaries do not match with other ministries within Northern Bahr-el-Ghazal State and Warrap State at large; we went to the adminstration of state Ministry of Education and the Salary Committee and asked them to explain why are we getting the doctored salaries, but they kept quite; giving no clarification," "For instance, I'm a teacher in grade five; I was given SSP117,500 which was not equal to SSP135.000 of the other ministries in Aweil and neighbouring Warrap State, they have also excluded Chalk and Medical Allowncies in the Ministry of Education." A grade five teacher told the City Review Newspaper.

Santino Bol Akot
For his part, Director General (DG) in the state Ministry of General Education Santino Bol Akot has accepted the fault in the doctored salaries; but blamed on the National Ministry of Public Service, the National Ministry of General Education and the National Ministry of Labour for giving them wrong paysheet. Bol said that it is teachers' right, let them claim it. Bol also said that the director for adminstration is following up the fault. He told Eye Radio.

National Security
South Sudan's National Security stormed the State Ministry of General Education and arrested 13 teachers including the director for finance and the other 2 directors before the police arrive, and were later released after 5 days from date 12th/01/2024.

Police Brutality
On January 8, 2024, the protesting teachers' committee opened a case against the state Ministry of Education's DG Santino Bol Akot and the salary committee head James Liai Liai. The two authorities were summoned to appear before Attorney General Deng Majak Deng, but they did not honour the summon and failed to appear in persons. Deng Majak in turn decided to have a visit in the state ministry in which he interrogated the DG Bol Akot. Bol admitted the ministry's fault in doctored salary figures. AG Deng Majak issued a period of 72 hours ultimatum for sorting out the teachers' payment of slashed salaries of July to be refunded, starting from the 10th and ending on the 12th, January 2024.

Fatality
On hearing the news of humiliated teachers; the unamed teacher in Aweil East County was deeply angry and the anger ignited the blood pressure and led to his death.

Political reactions
The head of the SPLM-IO in Aweil, Aweng Ibrahim Akoon condemned the incident in the strongest terms possible; citing teachers must not be beaten, arrested and their salaries cut. Indicating the slashed salaries was over SSP200 million. The corruption should never be a political slogan. Kuyol Abol Kuyol, the under-secretary in the national Ministry of General Education and Instruction; cried out that the practice should be put to an end and said it is illegal, and it has been practised in 3 states.