South Kordofan students expelled from dorms

The housing administration of the University of Delling in South Kordofan has expelled hundreds of substitute students from the dormitories, most of them from Darfur. Administrations in other states have also ordered students to leave the dorms during holidays.

One of the students told Radio Dabanga about the administration’s order to move out. “When we asked the housing administration to allow us an ultimatum until the end of the examinations, which begin on Sunday, the administration refused,” he explained. “Members of the security forces and students who support the National Congress Party then arrived to enforce the order.”

The student said that the enforcers stormed the dormitory, threw their belongings out of the rooms, and expelled them. He said that people living in Delling have taken some of the students into their homes, while others are still displaced in the streets.

Additionally, the administration refused to exempt new Darfuri students at the University of Delling from tuition fees, in accordance with a Darfur peace agreement from 2011. “We provided documentation to the administration proving that we have been displaced and affected by the war,” a new student complained to Radio Dabanga. He appealed to the Darfur Regional Authority to intervene and resolve the problem.

In related events, university housing administrations in other Sudanese states have insisted on expelling the students from their dormitories during holidays and festivals. Students complained about the ‘indecent treatment’: “The order comes at a time when students do not have any money to travel to our areas or relatives,” an affected student told Radio Dabanga.

Students further complained about the usually poor services in the dormitories, particularly water, sanitation and electricity services. The electric supply lasts about four hours a day.

Related:

Sudanese students evicted from boarding house in Khartoum North (16 July 2015)

Student killed, 10 injured, 48 detained in South Kordofan (14 August 2014)