**Fatshimetrie: Teachers’ strike in Katanga divides the University of Lubumbashi**
Since December 9, a general strike wave has spread throughout higher and university education in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Katanga region, in the southeast of the country, has not escaped this movement, where the University of Lubumbashi is the scene of a division between professors.
Following the announcement of the strike at the Higher Institute of Pedagogy (ISP) Lubumbashi on Thursday, the University’s teachers joined the movement by denouncing working conditions and demands for salary improvements. Professor Vincent Kimba, spokesperson for the striking teachers, emphasizes their support for the negotiations with the government.
However, an internal dissension is emerging within the Association of the Academic and Scientific Corps of the University of Lubumbashi (ACASUL), marked by the disavowal of the Interim Secretary General. Angry professors are calling for the latter to be replaced and for a crisis committee to be set up to effectively represent their interests.
The main demand of the teachers at the University of Lubumbashi is to respect the Bibwa 1 and 2 agreements, which advocate a substantial improvement in their living and working conditions. This strike appears as a cry of alarm in the face of the difficulties encountered by the teaching staff in a context of austerity and precarious management.
The situation at the University of Lubumbashi reflects the tensions and socio-economic issues that prevail in the higher education sector in the DRC. This mobilization of teachers underlines the urgency of finding sustainable solutions to guarantee the quality of education and the well-being of those involved in education.
As the strike continues, the future of higher education in Katanga remains uncertain. It is becoming imperative for the authorities and the unions to find common ground to meet the legitimate aspirations of teachers, who are responsible for the transmission of knowledge and the training of future generations.
In short, the teachers’ strike at the University of Lubumbashi highlights the challenges and tensions that run through the Congolese education system, calling for deep reflection on the means to be implemented to ensure a bright future for education and research in the Katanga region.