The CGTB (General Confederation of Labour of Burkina), through the National Coordination of Teachers and Researchers, has declared “no” to the pursuit of its Secretary General Moussa Diallo and demands the reversal of his dismissal.
Moussa Diallo, a philosophy teacher-researcher at the Manga University Center, was dismissed from the civil service on April 25 for “abandonment of duty.” Following an attempted abduction at his home on January 29, 2024, he was forced to seek safety and went into hiding. On that day, individuals without a warrant showed up at his residence to arrest him, a few weeks after the cancellation of a gathering to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the popular uprising in 2014 that ousted Blaise Compaoré from power.
According to the National Coordination of Teachers and Researchers, the dismissal of Moussa Diallo is unjustified. He continued to fulfill his teaching duties even after the failed abduction.
The government’s decision last Thursday to dismiss him from the ranks of civil servants for “abandonment of duty” is incomprehensible to Moussa Diallo’s colleagues. They express their bewilderment after having unsuccessfully requested twice to meet with the Minister of Higher Education to discuss the threats against their colleague.
The Coordination of Teachers and Researchers demands the immediate reversal of his dismissal, which they deem “arbitrary.” They emphasize their active stance alongside the people to resist the establishment of any despotic regime in Burkina Faso.