Seven teachers have been detained in Melut County in Upper Nile State after reportedly going to the county commissioner’s office to demand unpaid salaries.
The teachers are among hundreds who say they have not been paid since 2024, after being contracted by the county under its 3% share of oil revenues.
Teachers have staged several protests and school closures over the past two years to pressure the authorities to pay the arrears. In January, they reportedly shut down the county commissioner’s office as part of the campaign.
A teacher who asked not to be named for fear of arrest told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that seven colleagues were detained by the National Security Service (NSS) on Tuesday afternoon.
“Seven teachers were arrested at about 4pm on Tuesday and are now in the custody of the National Security,” the teacher said, naming those detained as Ariath Ariath, Matiok Miakol, Albino, Paul James, Atem Mijok, Ajak Maluk and Peter Aluong Deng.
He said their arrest had been ordered by the county commissioner after the teachers went to demand payment of salary arrears dating back to 2024.
The teacher alleged that the authorities were carrying out further arrests and appealed to the national government to intervene and secure the teachers’ release and payment of their outstanding salaries.
Civil society activist Bol Deng Bol, chair of the National Civil Society Coalition, also called for the teachers’ release.
“We communicated with colleagues on the ground and they confirmed the arrest of four teachers,” he said, adding that the detainees were being held by the NSS and that civil society representatives had been unable to access them.
He appealed to the NSS director general in Juba to order their release.
Wai Akol, the county education director, confirmed that teachers had been arrested but did not provide details.
He acknowledged that several teachers had gone unpaid for years, describing the issue as a wider problem. However, he said the teachers should not have gone to the commissioner’s office without informing the authorities.
“They did not inform anyone before going to the commissioner’s office,” he said. “As their colleagues, they have yet to officially inform me about what happened because I am only learning about it through hearsay.”
The authorities have not explained the reason for the arrests or said whether the arrested teachers have been charged.
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