GICUMBI - Four teachers from Gihembe Refugee Primary School, were yesterday, sacked by Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), an NGO that runs the Gicumbi-based school.

The refugees’ internal administration said the decision to sack the quartet follows last year’s standoff between them and their school’s headmistress, Julie Mukantabara.

"Mukantabara was last year accused of promoting ethnic divisionism at the school, in a letter signed by 65 teachers and copied to Gihembe Refugees’ Executive Committee, the Police and district authorities,” said the refugees’ chairman, Jean Nsengiyera.

Those sacked include the chairman of the school’s Executive Committee, Raphael Rutagaramba, the vice chairman, Francois Sebunyoni, the advisor to the committee, Innocent Muhire and Gihembe camp vice chairman, Mark Munyakazi.

Nsengiyera, however, alleged that the headmistress influenced JRS top management to sack the teachers because they revealed to district authorities her divisive tendencies.

In an interview with The New Times, Mukantabara said that she did not influence the sacking.

"The teachers were sacked by JRS top management, I have no hand in the termination of these teachers’ services,” she said.

A representative of the Ministry of Local government at the camp, Mark Shakagabo, said the decision by JRS to sack the teachers without consulting the camp’s Executive Committee is unlawful.

"We are all surprised by the manner in which JRS is handling this matter without consulting relevant authorities at the camp,” said Shakagabo.

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