Mauritanian teachers began a three-day general strike on Monday to demand pay raises and better living conditions.

“The strike was staged in response to the government’s procrastination in fulfilling the teachers’ demands,” Ahmed Mahmoud Beidah, secretary-general of the Mauritanian Independent Syndicate of Secondary Education Teachers, told Anadolu Agency.

“The teachers are going through very tough economic conditions and get low wages that don’t meet their basic needs,” he said.

The teachers are reportedly planning protests near Education Ministry headquarters in the capital Nouakchott.

The ministry appealed to the teachers to end their strike and engage in talks to resolve the dispute.

According to official figures, there are nearly 11,500 teachers in Mauritania.

The North African country saw several protests in recent months, particularly by healthcare workers demanding pay raises and better working conditions./aa