Refugee students in N Darfur expelled

Pupils were sent away because their parents hadn’t paid the school fees

Dozens of refugee students in North Darfur’s Zamzam camp schools were expelled on Monday owing to non-payment of fees.The students were pursuing primary level education in the school for refugee children at Zamzam camp. An activist residing in the camp told Radio Dabanga that he had personally seen more than 80 students on the streets of the camp during school hours.

When they were asked about why they weren’t attending school, the students said that they were expelled because they had not paid school fees.

The activist explained that the monthly fee varies from school to school, noting that some schools impose a monthly fee of five pounds and others impose a fee of seven pounds and ten pounds.

He also stated that most teachers come each morning from the city of El Fasher in addition to the volunteer teachers from the camp. Further more, he appealed to organizations and the Ministry of Education to resolve the problem immediately for the young displaced people’s future.

Students hijacked from West Darfur

Meanwhile, 10 students from West Darfur’s Mornei camp were kidnapped by six armed men riding camels on Tuesday.

The students had been on their way back to the camp from collecting hay. This incident takes the number of violent attacks by gunmen in the camp to over 10 in the last week.

A leader from the camp told Radio Dabanga that the gunmen beat the students with whips and kicked and slapped them, causing various injuries to the students.

In a separate incident the three gunmen yesterday also flogged and beaten five women who were on their way to fetch firewood.

The camp leader called on the United Nations African Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) to provide protection for the displaced people.