North Kordofan court convicts dozens of students kicked-out of dorms

The criminal court in El Obeid has convicted 149 students of the University of Kordofan as they refused to leave their dormitories. They have not yet been allowed to return.

On Thursday, El Obeid Criminal Court convicted the students for ‘committing criminal offenses’. Lawyer Osman Saleh told Radio Dabanga that police arrested students from inside the university dormitories on Monday evening, following a complaint submitted by the Student Support Fund.

The arrested students had refused to leave the dormitories. They were held in police custody until all were released on Thursday. The Student Housing Fund has so far refused the allow the 149 students back into the dormitory.

A witness in the state capital confirmed to Radio Dabanga that the students have not been allowed back into the dormitories. He added that the fund’s administration has handed over the luggage and belongings to the students.

The eviction has prompted the evicted students to take refuge in the mosques and the Sudanese Communist Party’s headquarters in El Obeid. The witness reported that a number of charitable organisations and families have been supporting the students, providing them with Ramadan meals.

In addition, members of the Sudanese security service in El Obeid shortly detained student Tarig Ahmed for taking pictures of the students after their release from detention in front of the court yesterday.

One of the lawyers told Radio Dabanga that Tarig was prevented from taking any other photos and interrogated at the security offices before being released.

Kordofan protesters arrested

In the first week of April, students of the University of East Kordofan were arrested for planning a student demonstration. The events follow police violence during a protest against the deterioration and poor services at the university held in the preceding week.