Darfuri students gather in Khartoum to protest detentions

Darfur students associations gathered on Tuesday 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.

A member of the gathering named Abdelhadi Abdallah told Radio Dabanga that the speakers dealt with the issue of the nine Darfur students who have been in the security forces detention for more than three months, living in difficult humanitarian and health conditions in which their families have not been allowed visit to them.

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.

Detainees

Abdallah told Radio Dabanga that the speakers appealed to human rights organisations inside and outside Sudan to exert efforts and pressure the government to release these students and cancel the sentences against some of them. Amnesty International has called for the release of the former head of the Darfuri Students’ Association, Nasreldin Mukhtar, who has been held by security for about three months.

Speakers at the gathering accused the university administrations of discriminating against the students of Darfur. On Tuesday the gathering renewed its adherence to free education for Darfur students and called it a legitimate right.

The speakers stressed the continued deterioration of security and violations by militias in Darfur.

The arrested students are: Salim Mohammed Salim, El Hadi Abdelshafi Abdelmomen, Zakariya Musa Abakar, Abdelmalik Musa Abakar, Yasser Abdallah Mohammed, Adam Zakariya Adam, Bashir Yagoub Mohammed, Mohammad Abakar Hussein and Nasreldin Mohammad Mukhtar.

The students sentenced to death are: Asim Omar and Mohammed Abdallah Baggari, this along with nine Darfuri students of Bakht El Rida University in the White Nile state who have been held without trial since April.