Darfuri students demand graduation certificates

The Darfuri Students Association at the University of the Holy Koran in Omdurman has accused the university administration of withholding the graduation certificates of a number of Darfuri students without clarifying the reasons.

They have given the dean of students two days to hand over the certificates to the Darfuri students and threatened to escalate the case in the event the students do not receive their certificates.

The Darfuri students association has called on the security apparatus to immediately release the nine remaining Darfuri detainees, including Nasredin Mukhtar, Ahmed Abakar and Abdelhadi Abdelmoumen.

Darfur students associations gathered on December 5 at El Nilein University in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum and the stadium of El Sug El Arabi to address the issues of detained and imprisoned students and the humanitarian situation in Darfur.

Nasreldin Mukhtar is the former head of the Darfur Students Association of the University of the Holy Koran. He was arrested at the university on 22 August for unknown reasons.

Nine members of the United Popular Front, the student faction of the rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) were arrested at demonstrations they organised in two markets in Khartoum on September 13.

The students association has accused the security services of racially and systematically targeting Darfuri students and allege that the detainees have been subjected to brutal torture.

The association has appealed to civil society organisations and activists to continue solidarity with the detainees until their release.