Darfuri women students occupy Khartoum DRA office

More than 50 Darfuri women students entered the office of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) in Khartoum and settled there today, in an attempt to pressure the Darfuri officials to find a solution for their housing problems.

Student Saadiya Yousef told Dabanga that the students had decided to settle at the DRA office, “as the people, who were so kind to rent accommodation for us cannot continue forever”.

In September last year, the National Endowment Fund for Students requested the women students to vacate El Zahra boarding establishment in the Sudanese capital, as the buildings needed renovation. Of the estimated 150 Darfuri students at the dormitory, 70 did not leave, saying they do not have family in Khartoum and cannot afford more expensive accommodation.

Eviction

Security and police forces violently evicted the 70 remaining students from the boarding house on 5 October, the second day of the Eid El Adha. Dozens of students were taken to various detention centres in Khartoum.

After the incident, the Fund offered some of the students temporary accommodation in other boarding facilities. Members of civil society organisations and political parties rented houses for about 90 of the evicted students.

Yousef explained that the rent will cease at the end of this month. “About 150 women students from Darfur will be on the streets again.”

She said that they have requested Ministers and Darfur MPs for support, “to no avail, so we did not see any other way than to bring our belongings, and settle at the DRA office until a real and lasting solution has been found”.

Related articles:

More Darfuri students evicted in Sudan’s capital​ (21 October 2014)

‘Darfuri women students abused in detention’: activists (16 October 2014)

HRW, Arab organisations urge Sudan to probe security attack on students (16 October 2014)

Darfuri students detained in Sudan’s capital  (8 October 2014)