Students: ‘al-Qaeda members at Sudan’s Khartoum University’

Several students enrolled at the Khartoum University, Sudan, claimed that 15 members of the terrorist organization al-Qaeda entered the institution’s campus on Wednesday, 9 January. Sources told Radio Dabanga the men stated they belonged to the terrorist organization and that even though the security services were aware of the declarations, none of them tried arresting the group. The self-declared al-Qaeda members had long, thick beards and long hair and were wearing “shorter trousers”, an undergraduate recounted. He told Radio Dabanga he did not think these 15 men were students. Protests Also on Wednesday, students from the Khartoum University took the streets to protest against policies of the National Congress Party (NCP). One of these policies includes arming tribes, which resulted in the war in al-Sref Beni Hussein. The other includes engaging Rizeigat tribes near the country’s southern border to fight against South Sudan in the Samaha area, East Darfur. A student activist from the Darfur Student Association told Radio Dabanga he addressed a crowd of undergraduates at the Khartoum University and denounced the situation in Darfur. The crowd was joined by student unions from the Nuba Mountains and from El-Manasir (north of Sudan), who also condemned the “policies and tribalism” of the NCP. Next, the group of students headed towards a souq (market) in the city center and was dispersed by the security services. They reportedly fired tear gas and beat students with batons.Photo: University of Khartoum (Radio Dabanga file)