Guards storm Khartoum dormitory, force students out

The head of the university guard has stormed a complex for student girls of the University of Khartoum and threatened the students to use force if they did not leave the dormitories. The incident happened against the backdrop of the university’s closure after the student protests on Tuesday, during which one Darfuri student was killed. A female Darfuri student of the dormitory told Radio Dabanga that the head of the university guards as well as the supervisor of the Khadijah bint Khuwaylidin Bahri complex have abused the sanctity of the students who were there. “They threatened to use force against us if we did not leave immediately.” She explained that the dormitory includes four faculties: the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Forestry, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicines, and the Faculty of Livestock Production, and that the number of female students ranges “between 1,000 and 1,200”. In the same regard, the student revealed that after Khartoum University administration’s decision to shut down the university and the dormitories indefinitely, the female students could not leave because they were surprised by that decision. “The majority of the students does not have relatives in Khartoum to stay with, let alone the financial capability to travel home, especially those from Darfur states.” Lawyers confirm assassination Darfuri student Meanwhile, the Darfur Bar Association (DBA) confirmed that student Ali Abakar Musa Idris was assassinated by a sniper wearing civilian clothing during protests in Khartoum on Tuesday. The sniper shot a bullet in his back that penetrated into the chest and mutilated his lung, the lawyers group stated on Thursday. “The authorities accuse Darfuri students of belonging to the armed movements as a justification for exercising their repression and harassments against the students”, the lawyers said. “The systematic targeting of Darfuri university students has become a practice of the regime.” On Tuesday, Darfuri students had organised a political meeting within the university premises, condemning the silence of the Sudanese government about the ongoing violence against civilians in Darfur. When they went to the streets in a peaceful march, security troops opened fire on them. File photo: Police forces using tear gas at the University of Khartoum during protests on Tuesday (Twitter) Related: ‘Persecution of Darfuri students should stop’: JEM (12 March 2014) ‘Darfur students affiliated with armed movements’: security (12 March 2014)