Thousands of teachers in South Sudan’s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State are threatening to go on strike unless the government pays three months of overdue salaries, the state teachers’ union said Thursday.
Kon Deng Kon, chairperson of the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State Teachers Union, told Radio Tamazuj that 6,724 primary and secondary school teachers have issued a 72-hour ultimatum to authorities. If their March, April, and May 2025 salaries are not paid, they will shut down schools across the state.
“We have not received any salary for the months of March, April, and May 2025,” Deng said. “If the government fails to pay us within 72 hours, we will close all schools.”
Teachers are also demanding unpaid wages from 2024, a delay affecting other civil servants in the state.
Geng Garang Geng, a union member, said that the strike threat follows a directive from Vice President for Service Cluster Benjamin Bol Mel, who ordered that all civil servant salaries be paid by the 24th of each month.
“Other government employees have been paid on time, but teachers have not,” Geng said. “We are asking the national government: Are teachers exempt from this directive?”
Velantino Anei Deng, director general of the state’s Ministry of General Education and Instruction, said he had not received formal notice from the union. He denied that the ministry had received funds from the national government.
“If the government releases salaries, we can process payments, but we have not received anything,” he said.
Anei said the ministry is working with the National Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Bank of South Sudan to resolve the issue. He further said an official has been sent to Juba to track the delay.
“We are following up, but we are told the central bank lacks cash,” he said.
South Sudan allocated 5.4% of its 2024/2025 budget to education. However, transparency concerns persist over whether the funds have been properly disbursed.
South Sudan’s government has struggled with chronic liquidity shortages, leaving civil servants unable to access salaries despite payment notifications. Recently, two teachers in Western Equatoria collapsed from hunger after failing to withdraw wages for months.
Economists blame the crisis on eroding trust in banks and political instability.
“No economic policy will work without fixing security and governance,” said economist Dr. Kimo Aban. “The starting point is political stability—then trust and recovery can follow.”
The Finance Ministry has previously called the cash shortage a “major challenge,” but has yet to announce concrete solutions.