The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee, one of the independent unions in Sudan, launched a campaign to stop the war in Sudan on Saturday, July 27, 2024.

The conflict began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (a militia). Both the SAF and RSF are not only fighting each other, they aim to crush the 2018 revolution, which demanded a civilian-led government and an end to military rule in Sudan.

Currently, 10 of 14 Sudanese states are active war zones. Tens of thousands have been killed, and over 10 million people displaced. The health and education systems have nearly collapsed, while factories, agriculture, and other means of production have been destroyed. Trade unionists, activists, and revolutionary forces have become primary targets for the warring parties.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described the crisis in Sudan as

one of the world’s largest displacement, food security and children’s crisis. Overall, more than 20 per cent of the population in Sudan has fled their home due to the ongoing war, either internally or across borders.

Sami Al-Baqir, the Spokesperson for the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee, told MENA Solidarity that:

The war in Sudan has had a devastating impact on the country’s education system. According to UNICEF, nearly 19 million children are now out of school. The conflict has led to a backlog of three million school batches for six-year-olds and halted enrolment since the war’s onset in April 2023. With schools primarily accommodating a maximum of 1.2 million students annually, over two-thirds of children are at risk of missing out on education. Approximately one million students are awaiting their final exams. Over 6,000 schools have been converted into shelters for internally displaced persons. Additionally, schools have been used as military bases, targeted in attacks, and even served as makeshift burial sites during intense fighting, particularly in Khartoum. More than 350,000 teachers have gone without pay for 16 months, and school supplies have been destroyed or looted.

The campaign aims to amplify the voices of teachers who reject the war and demand peace.

Mr. Al-Baqir conveyed this message through MENA Solidarity:

We, the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee, have launched a campaign to stop the war under the slogan ‘Teachers are Advocates for Peace and Builders of Civilizations.’ This campaign has received widespread support from all sectors of Sudanese society, including trade unions, professional associations, civil society, national figures, and political parties. This response compels us to continue our efforts until this war ends. We hope for the solidarity of British trade unions and civil society with our campaign. Their support will strengthen us and hasten the end of the war for the sake of children, women, and the elderly, and for the Sudanese people who have been devastated by this war.

It is worth noting that Mena Solidarity and the National Education Union in England and Wales have maintained ongoing communication with the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee since the start of the 2018 revolution. Mr. Al-Baqir and other senior members of the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee have regularly participated in Zoom meetings and conferences organised by Mena Solidarity, alongside the National Education Union, the University and College Union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, and other trade unions.

We have supported and covered many of their strikes, and marches, and raised a successful campaign to release Mr. Al-Bagir after his arrest by the Sudanese Military Intelligence in September 2023. He was released a few days after the campaign was raised.

The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee is well-positioned to lead the popular movement to stop the war, and it is extremely important to support civilian forces calling for an end to the war. An education system can only function when the war ends.

MENA Solidarity fully supports the Sudanese Teachers’ Committee’s campaign to stop the war. We call on all trade unions, human rights groups, and peace-loving people to support this campaign and amplify the voices of Sudanese teachers against the war.

Resources and background:

Listen to this interview to learn more about what is happening in Sudan.

For more information and resources, access our Stop the War in Sudan toolkit and sign the postcard addressed to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, urging the British government to support the Sudanese people.

Share this motion with your union branch and advocate for its adoption: Model Motion – Stand with Sudan: Stop the War, Support the People

Download resources:

• ‘Stopping Sudan’s hidden war’ Sudan Update March 2024 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Why is there a war in Sudan?’ Sudan Update May 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• ‘Stop the war in Sudan’ Sudan Update April 2023 – download the leaflet >>here
• Stop the war in Sudan / Refugees welcome A4 poster – download >>here