Review – OnePress
The Legal Committee of the Committee of Sudanese University Professors announced on Thursday that it has begun legal and administrative proceedings against the director of the University of Bakht al-Rida, against the backdrop of a decision to suspend the salaries of professors participating in an academic strike, in a move described by the Committee as “arbitrary” and contrary to the law.
The committee said in a statement that the decision was made without an administrative investigation or legal accountability, considering it a violation of the principles of natural justice, laws regulating higher education and civil service regulations in Sudan.
“The use of salaries as a means of pressure and intimidation against faculty members is unacceptable administrative behavior, which will deepen the crises of higher education and undermine the independence of academic institutions.
The committee stressed that the strike is a legitimate and constitutionally guaranteed right, stressing its rejection of the characterization of striking professors as “disabled” or “absentees,” and demanded the immediate cancellation of the decision to stop salaries and the disbursement of all financial dues and arrears without conditions.
Lajso called on civil society organizations and human rights bodies to support what it described as defending the independence of universities and the rights of academics, stressing that its legal team will continue to pursue the case before the judicial authorities until the cancellation of the decision and redress of those affected.
The crisis comes at a time when Sudan’s higher education institutions are facing increasing challenges related to financial and administrative conditions and the effects of the ongoing unrest on the educational process.