More Than 100 Schools in DR Congo Remain Closed Amid Staff Protest

DR Congo | THE BLACK EXAMINER | For nearly two weeks, more than 100 schools in the eastern region of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo, have remained closed due to a demonstration by teachers. Dozens of school staff members have refused to return to their classrooms in the aftermath of a jihadist attack last month that claimed the lives of three teachers.

Coordinated by labor unions, the staff has expressed their demand to resume teaching only after the results of the investigation into the attack are made public. The attack, which occurred on the night of October 24, saw a militia group wielding machetes kill at least 26 people in the Masosi locality.

According to Captain Anthony Mualushayi, a spokesperson for the Congolese Army, five individuals are still missing in the wake of the attack, which the army attributed to an Islamist group known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), originating from Uganda.

As the investigation into the attack unfolds, negotiations between authorities and the protesting education unions have reached an impasse.

The ongoing instability in the region, caused by over 200 armed groups, has led to a dire humanitarian situation, forcing approximately 6.9 million people in the DR Congo to be displaced from their homes this year, as reported by the International Organization for Migration.