Teachers agree to end strike

Teachers in the Central African Republic (CAR), represented by an umbrella union, have agreed to end their seven-month nationwide strike on Friday, according to news organisations. The CAR Teachers' Federation, (L'Interfederale des enseignants, which represents two teachers' unions), reached the agreement with the Ministry of National Education on Wednesday. Union Secretary-General Michel Kpingo told a Bangui newspaper, the Centrafrique-presse, that they had decided to return to work following an appeal by the new head of state, Francois Bozize, who had promised to pay their salaries. Teachers are owed 34 months of salary arrears, and had reached a deal with the now-ousted government of President Ange-Felix Patasse to be paid nine months of arrears before resuming work. "Unfortunately, the government failed to honour the agreement, so the strike continued until the change of government on 15 March," Kpingo said. He said the union accepted Bozize's appeal on condition that his government settled some of the arrears. In addition, Kpingo said, the union demanded that the government overhaul the education ministry and cancel the last school year. "If the government does not abide by its undertaking, we will meet and take a decision on the next course of action," Kpingo said.