Five students wounded at Omdurman campus

Two university students at a campus in Omdurman have been seriously injured in a clash that erupted over student union elections. The lawyers and family of a detained Khartoum University student were allowed to speak to him for the first time this month.

On Monday morning, five students of the University of the Holy Koran in the twin city of Khartoum were wounded in a shooting that involved students, police, and security agents. Two of the wounded are in serious condition. All are in Omdurman Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Several students told Radio Dabanga that the incident occurred following a student group's submission of its candidate list for the union elections.

“Students who support the National Congress Party objected to the list and fought the students, with the help of the Sudanese security service (NISS), which used live bullets and teargas,” a student said. The injured include Adam Haroun, Arbab Haroun, 'Adam', Mustafa Yagoub, and 'Khaled'.

In addition, “about 20 students from the campus were detained, and the security service took several students from the hospital while they were receiving treatment”, a student said. He was unable to tell where the students are detained.

The student union elections are planned to be held today. An incident during the registration of candidates for the student council election at the University of Kordofan in El Obeid resulted in a clash on 19 April, in which student Abubaker Hashim was killed.

Many students were detained, while eleven of them have been charged with rioting and violating public safety. The death of Hashim sparked student protests in El Obeid, Khartoum, Omdurman, and Port Sudan, which were met by riot police. The NISS in the cities detained demonstrators for short periods.

Student on murder charge

A University of Khartoum student who was detained by the authorities during a demonstration in the beginning of May has been charged with premeditated murder. The defence team of lawyers and family members were allowed to meet him for the first time since his detention in Khartoum North Police Department last Sunday.

The police charged Asim Omar against the backdrop of the student protests at his university that started in the last week of April. Unrest among students grew over a rumoured plan by the university administration to sell-off faculty buildings and move university facilities to the outskirts of Khartoum ‘to make way for tourist attractions’.

A number of protesting students were detained, and some are still being held. Students and families who resorted to a lawyers' office were beaten when NISS agents raided the office on 5 May.

Speaking to Radio Dabanga, one of the lawyers for Omar said: “We spoke to him from behind bars on Sunday. The meeting was emotional and influential, because it was the first time the police allowed him access to a lawyer and members of his family.

“Asim did not know the reasons for his arrest and was not informed of the charges against him. He was promised to be released on bail, which later turned out to be misleading.”