Central Darfur students arrested after critical speeches

Two university students were arrested for their participation in speeches by a pro-rebel student faction in Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur, on Monday.

The Sudanese security service arrested Ahmed Mohamed Abakar of the Faculty of Economics, and Saleh Ibrahim Saleh of the Faculty of Computer and Information Technology of the Zalingei University. They have not been released so far.

The arrests came against the backdrop of mass speeches held by the United Popular Front (UPF), the students’ faction of the rebel movement of Abdelwahid El Nur, in the city on Monday. The UPF publicly denounced the incidents in Kalma camp for displaced people and the “crimes committed by President Al Bashir”.

In addition six students who are members of the UPF have been in detention since 13 September, when security agents arrested a number of students during a protest in Bahri market in Khartoum North. The protest was raised against the continued detentions of UPF members a couple of days before.

Meanwhile the security service arrested two family members of student Mohamed Ali of the Zalingei University this week, until Ali hands himself over to the authorities. According to El Shafie Abdallah, the Coordinator of Displaced People in the camps in Central Darfur, the security service arrested two of Ali’s uncles, Abdelrahman Mohamed Abdelrasool and Shamseldin Mohamed Abdelrasool.

“Their release is conditioned with the wanted student turning himself over to the security service,” El Shafie said. “The security service arresting the family of a target person is illegal and contrary to the conducts and ethics of the Sudanese people.”

Tensions

In the Sudanese capital, the faculties of education and economics of the University of Khartoum experienced tensions as a result of the dismissal of three of their students. 20 students received warnings.

A representative of the students told Radio Dabanga that one of the students, Abu Bakr Abdelbagi, had called for the boycott of the examinations which began on Thursday.

“Abdelbagi was dismissed while he was sitting for one of the exams. He was not clearly notified of the decision of his dismissal, as his name was included in the examination lists, and after he had paid the examination fees in full.”

The representative added that last week, the Faculty of Education dismissed two students and gave warnings to 20 others because of their ‘violation of the student activity regulations’.

Again the students rejected the decision and threatened to boycott the exams, scheduled for 8 October.