NISS detain students, disperse marchers in Khartoum

At least two students were detained in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum on Wednesday at a peaceful march organised by the Darfuri university students’ associations. Security agents used batons and verbal violence to disperse a second march by political and civil society leaders.

A Darfuri student leader told Radio Dabanga that the associations staged a peaceful march that moved from El Nilein University, through the streets of El Sug El Arabi, to downtown Khartoum in solidarity with the victims of the Azerni and Heiban massacres, as well as the student detainees in Khartoum.

He said that the associations handed a memorandum to representatives of the United Nations, which demands that United Nations, the European Union, and the African Union to exert pressure on the Sudanese government to bring the perpetrators of the Azerni and Heiban massacres to trial, prevent the impunity of criminals from punishment, and immediately release the students who have spent nearly a month in detention camps.

The student leader said that agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) intercepted the march and arrested a number of students, including Hammad Mujtaba of the University of Khartoum and Hamza Mohamed Adam of Bahri University. (See more pictures below)

March to Justice Ministry

Also on Wednesday, the NISS confronted political and civil society leaders with batons and verbal violence and prevented them from reaching the building of the Ministry of Justice where they planned to hand over a memorandum.

A group of activists, including a preparatory committee for the graduates of the University of Khartoum, students’ coordination of the University of Khartoum, the committee for solidarity with the detainees and families of detainees, ultimately delivered a memorandum to the Ministry of Justice demanding the stop of the abuses against activists, university students and civil society.

The NISS detained some of them for a short period. One of the leaders of the march, Dr Muawiya Shaddad, told Radio Dabanga that despite the NISS crackdown with batons and verbal violence, he and lawyer Manal managed to reach the building of the Ministry, where they delivered their memorandum concerning the continued detention of more than a dozen University of Khartoum students during the period from 5 and 8 May to date.

The memorandum pointed out that these students are being held without access to legal representation, without charge, and that their families do not have an idea of the reason of their arrest.

The memorandum also demands the release of students and staff of Trax Centre for Training and Human Development in Khartoum was subjected to security raids that resulted in the arrest of a number of its employees.