Darfuri students arrested at El Gezira protest

On Tuesday, the security services arrested 13 Darfuri students from the University of the Holy Quran in El Gezira state, and used gas and batons to break-up a demonstration in protest at the university administration’s refusal to honour an agreement exempting the Darfuri students from paying tuition fees.

A member of the Darfuri Students' Association of the university told Radio Dabanga that the students staged a peaceful demonstration on Tuesday against the administration's disavowing its agreement with the association to exempt the Darfuri students from paying tuition fees.

He said that a force of security services intervened using tear gas and batons to break-up the demonstration and arrest seven students.

On Wednesday the security services raided the Darfuri students’ boarding house and arrested six of them including Maysara Abdullah Mohammed, Abdelmahmood Ahmad Adam, Abdelmalik Mohammed, Mohammed Abdeljalil Abdelbashir, Abuobaida El Tahir, Ismail Shalabi, Abdullah Ballah, Eisa Murad Maala, Nasruldin Hassan Jibril, Sabri Bashir, Mahmoud Mohammed Ahmed, Abdullah Ahmad Shouka, and Ali El Sharif.

Exemption from tuition fees was one of the conditions of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, which was wound-up following the regions' controversial referendum in 2016. The measure is designed to afford students from Darfur, who have been impoverished by years of conflict, an opportunity to study. However, the measure has been met with resistance at universities thoughout Sudan.

Journalist summoned

On Wednesday the security services in El Geneina in West Darfur state summoned journalist Alaauldin Babikir and held him for an hour-long investigation against the backdrop of his publication of an article revealing cases of AIDS and their spread in West Darfur.

Members of the security services have threatened Alaauldin Babikir to prevent him from covering many of the issues in the state.