Student factions come to blows in West Kordofan: 10+ injured

At least ten students were injured – one of them seriously – in an attack on Wednesday by student supporters of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party on a speech gathering organised by students at the Faculty of Education in West Kordofan University in En Nahud.

A student from En Nahud told Radio Dabanga that the initial attack targeted a speech gathering organised by student protesters demanding improvement of the university environment. The police the intervened and broke up the clashes using tear gas.

He said that the student who was seriously injured was taken to El Obeid Hospital in North Kordofan, while the rest of the injured were treated at En Nahud Hospital.

Bus broken-down

The student said their grievances included that the bus that transports the students from the boarding house to the main university campus has been out of action for three months.

He pointing out that they are forced to walk long distances from the boarding house located on the outskirts of En Nahud to the campus.

Board of Deans

The Board of Deans of the University expressed “concern for the limited incidents that occurred between some students”.

It acknowledged that “a number of students suffered varying injuries”.

A statement issued after an emergency meeting of the Board of Deans announced that study and activities at the university will continue according to the prepared calendar.

The Board announced the formation of a fact-finding committee into the incidents to submit its recommendations to the university administration.

It called on students to exercise restraint, renounce violence and commit themselves to university regulations.

Trial postponed

Yesterday the court postponed the trial of six students of the United Popular Front who were arrested while delivering speeches in Khartoum and released them on bail.

Abdelbaset Mohamed, the defence lawyer for the accused students, said that yesterday the court in Bahri postponed its session for the absence of student Abdelmalik Mousa Ibrahim from attending the hearing because of his re-arrest by the security services in Khartoum North when was being bailed out two weeks ago.

He said that the court addressed the security apparatus on the student and the response of the security apparatus is that he cannot attend the session now because the address did not happen enough time ago and accordingly the session was postponed to the next week.

The students who are still detained are: Abdelnasir Adam Ishag, Abubaker Mousa Khamis, Nasreldin Khater, Younis Mohamed Younis, Abdallah Sharaf Mohamed, Abdelsalam Mahmoud  and the student detained by the security services now Abdelmalik Mousa Ibrahim who been detained by the security services since they were arrested in Khartoum  North on September 13 until today.

He added “These students have not yet been allowed to meet with their families or lawyers and demanded their immediate release or trial.

He explained that the students who are still detained by the security services are: Bashir Yagoub Mohamed, Adam Zakariya Adam, Yasir Abdallah Mohamed, Salem Mohamed Salem, Hadi Abdelmumin, Zakariya Mousa Abakar and Abdelmalik Mousa Ibrahim.