Fire at Sudan’s Koran University
The Ministry of Interior has cited a Molotov cocktail allegedly thrown by protesting Darfuri students as the cause of a fire that broke out at the Holy Koran University in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin-city, on Wednesday morning.
Students from Darfur were demonstrating for exemption from tuition fees, in accordance with Darfur peace agreements signed by the Sudanese government. The protest took place in the morning, as the university administration rejected their claim, saying that the exemption cannot cover all the students from the conflict region.
In a statement issued after the incident, the Ministry of Interior said that “a limited number of Darfuri students had caused riots at the Faculty of Education of the University of the Holy Koran”.
“When the university administration was asked about the cause, it reported that the fire was caused by some Darfuri students,’’ said the statement.
The Ministry said that three offices, the deanship faculty office, lecture hall, and one of the financial offices, were burned down.
Clashes between students at the university erupted last month after two sit-ins to protest the university administration’s refusal to exempt Darfuris from tuition fees. Protesters were attacked by militant students of the ruling National Congress Party backed by police and security forces. Many Darfuri students were shortly detained by the security service.
On 1 November, the Criminal Court of North Omdurman began the first trial of nine Darfuri students of the Holy Koran University. The students face various charges related to disturbing the public order and creating chaos.
The Ministry of Interior has cited a Molotov cocktail allegedly thrown by protesting Darfuri students as the cause of a fire that broke out at the Holy Koran University in Omdurman, Khartoum’s twin-city, on Wednesday morning.
Students from Darfur were demonstrating for exemption from tuition fees, in accordance with Darfur peace agreements signed by the Sudanese government. The protest took place in the morning, as the university administration rejected their claim, saying that the exemption cannot cover all the students from the conflict region.
In a statement issued after the incident, the Ministry of Interior said that “a limited number of Darfuri students had caused riots at the Faculty of Education of the University of the Holy Koran”.
“When the university administration was asked about the cause, it reported that the fire was caused by some Darfuri students,’’ said the statement.
The Ministry said that three offices, the deanship faculty office, lecture hall, and one of the financial offices, were burned down.
Clashes between students at the university erupted last month after two sit-ins to protest the university administration’s refusal to exempt Darfuris from tuition fees. Protesters were attacked by militant students of the ruling National Congress Party backed by police and security forces. Many Darfuri students were shortly detained by the security service.
On 1 November, the Criminal Court of North Omdurman began the first trial of nine Darfuri students of the Holy Koran University. The students face various charges related to disturbing the public order and creating chaos.
Photos below are taken by a student
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