The Sudanese Teachers’ Committee has denounced the appointment of an education director in Kassala, accusing him of complicity in a colleague’s death.
The committee said Hassan Ahmed Mohamed Haroun lured fellow teacher Ahmed al-Khair to his arrest in January 2019, during Sudan’s nationwide uprising.
Al-Khair, an activist, was seized amid mass demonstrations that toppled dictator Omar al-Bashir, and died days later after brutal torture in custody.
His killing became a symbol of sacrifice and a rallying cry for pro-democracy movements demanding an end to authoritarian rule and systemic injustice in Sudan.
In its statement, the committee described General Abdel Fattah al Burhan-controlled junta’s appointment as “a setback for justice and a deep wound for generations of teachers.”
The teachers’ body said his return to public office dishonours al-Khair’s memory and signals a dangerous disregard for accountability in governance.
In 2020, a court in Omdurman sentenced 27 security officers to death or prison for their roles in al-Khair’s murder. However, none of the sentences were implemented, and most convicts reportedly escaped Kober Prison after war erupted in April 2023.
The war, pitting Burhan’s SAF against the rival Rapid Support Forces, has collapsed institutions and eroded even fragile mechanisms of justice.
For many Sudanese, Haroun’s rise reflects the persistence of impunity, where figures linked to past crimes find protection amid political turmoil.
The teachers’ committee vowed to continue resisting the appointment, insisting that honouring al-Khair’s legacy requires justice, not the elevation of the accused.
