“Painful”: CEPO appeals for release of detained Lakes teachers

JUBA – South Sudan’s civil society organization, the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), has appealed to the government of Lakes State to release a group of teachers being detained by authorities for alleged incitement against the government.

In June, at least 36 school teachers were detained by police authorities after staging a protest to reject salary and demand increment.

This morning, wives of some of some of the teachers who are still being locked up at Rumbek prison appealed for release of their husbands saying that the situation has been unbearable as they haven’t been allowed to visit or speak to them.

In a statement to Sudans Post, the CEPO appealed to the state governor, Gen. Rin Tueny Mabor, to compromise and forgive the detained teachers, saying that it is painful to see those teachers being detained.

“CEPO is urging the state leadership of Lakes State to compromise and forgive the teachers. It is painful to see teachers locked behind bars. Without a teacher we could have not being writing and reading. With due respect and honor to the leadership of Lakes State,” the statement signed by the Executive Director of CEPO Edmund Yakani reads in part.

“CEPO Executive Director is urging the Hon. Governor to release forgive the teachers of Lakes State who are facing detention situation now in Rumbek It is high time for the office of Hon Governor to forgive the teachers and free them from the detention, as a sign of forgiveness,” the statement added.

The statement further revealed that the civil society organization will embark “on negotiation with the state authority for pardoning of the teachers so that they can continue their duty of teaching which is vital for generations of today foe better future.”