A major crisis has hit Sudan’s higher education sector as the Sudanese University Professors Committee (LAJSO) rejected a multi-billion pound government funding package and announced a nationwide strike starting this Sunday, March 29, 2026.
Professor Ahmed Mudawi Musa, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, stated on Wednesday that the Ministry of Finance allocated 21 billion Sudanese pounds in the 2026 budget for state universities. According to ministry officials, approximately 11.9 billion pounds were earmarked for academic staff salaries, which would have set a full professor’s starting monthly salary at 1 million pounds.
However, despite the high figures, the professors’ committee criticized the move as an attempt to “bypass the core issue.” The committee argues that the government is offering a temporary percentage increase rather than the structural legal reform they have demanded for years.
The professors’ primary demand is the formal implementation of the 2023 salary structure and service regulations, which were developed by a cabinet technical committee but have yet to be officially signed into law.
In a statement, the committee emphasized that “the issue is not merely about a percentage increase in wages; the profession requires a fair legal framework to ensure stability and respect for educators’ roles.”
This strike comes at a time when university staff are facing a severe economic crisis due to Sudan’s prolonged conflict. Hyperinflation and the plummeting value of the Sudanese pound have rendered current salaries nearly worthless, with many educators reporting months of unpaid wages.
While the government claims to view university professors as a “pillar of national development,” academics remain skeptical, citing the rapid wage hikes recently granted to security forces as evidence of the government’s lack of priority for education.
If the planned strike proceeds on Sunday, all state higher education institutions will cease operations, and classrooms across the country will remain closed until a formal agreement is reached.
