Backdrop to Bentiu Protest
Peaceful march on 25 Sept 2025 inside Bentiu’s Protection of Civilians site pressed for the immediate release of First Vice-President Riek Machar and seven co-accused facing treason and murder charges.
Demonstrators also demanded full execution of the 2018 peace agreement, withdrawal of Ugandan troops, and swift creation of a hybrid court to probe wartime atrocities.
Education Sector Faces Fallout
Hours after the rally, Unity State’s education director Stephen Mayiel signed an order suspending 24 headteachers indefinitely, effective immediately.
The decree does not cite the protest, yet many parents and staff see a clear connection, pointing to the matching date on the document.
Suspended principals span primary, alternative learning, and secondary institutions serving both camp residents and surrounding towns, potentially disrupting thousands of pupils.
Political Ripples Across Unity State
Machar spokesperson Puok Both Baluang labeled the suspensions “a misrepresentation of events” and urged immediate reinstatement, arguing the schools closed under a PoC Community High Committee directive.
Baluang accused Governor Riek Bim Top’s administration of scapegoating educators to stifle peaceful dissent, while insisting constitutional rights to assembly and expression remain non-negotiable.
State officials have not publicly linked the order to politics, yet analysts warn the episode could widen trust deficits within the fragile coalition government.
Rights, Freedoms, and Next Steps
Civil-society monitors say the indefinite nature of the suspensions heightens anxiety over shrinking civic space in oil-rich Unity State.
“Education should never be a casualty of political disagreement,” a Bentiu teacher remarked, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Stakeholders await the court’s 29 September session and any signal from Juba that could ease tensions and allow the educators to return to classrooms.