Two students shot dead, 11 injured, as Sudanese troops disperse Central Darfur demo

Two students have died and eight other were injured after Sudanese regular forces fired live ammunition at student protests at Zalingei University in Central Darfur yesterday. The university's director blamed the state's security committee for the events.

The Director of the University of Zalingei, Mousa Ismail, acknowledged in a statement that the shooting by the security forces at student protests in front of the former UNAMID teamsite resulted in the death of Ezzeldin Omar, who was a student at the Faculty of Science of Technology, and the wounding of eight students, three of whom are in critical condition.

The three critical cases were transferred to Nyala Hospital in South Darfur.

The university director further stated that a second student was killed, and three others were injured, in heavy fire on student protests that moved to the secretariat after the killing of the first student.

The director blamed the state security committee for the events, demanding an urgent and transparent investigation and justice for those involved.

Students from Zalingei University told Radio Dabanga that they staged protests on Tuesday morning in front of the former UNAMID teamsite because the authorities had not fulfilled their promises to open the eastern gate of the site, which was handed over to the university.

The protesters lit vehicle tires as shops closed and regular forces continued to deliver heavy fire and tear gas at the protesters, causing a number of casualties that could not be accounted for as of late Tuesday.

The government secretariat building was vandalised, and a number of vehicles set on fire. Sources indicated that the governor of the state, Adeeb Abdelrahman, was transferred from the state secretariat to the 21st Infantry Division. Radio Dabanga tried to contact the governor but he could not be reached.

The Security Committee of Central Darfur issued orders to impose a State of Emergency and curfew in Zalingei from 18:00 to 06:00. with the deployment of military forces on major roads and strategic sites. In a pervious statement, Governor Abdelrahman accused “unnamed parties” of “acting to provoke violence and forcibly stormed the state government teamsite”, saying that “the military forces dealt decisively with them to protect the lives of civilians and government institutions.”