Protest renews in Kassala

Students angered by infliction of injuries on protesters last weekStudent demonstrations broke out during the day yesterday in Kassala. Hundreds of students and anti-government youth, led by a group calling itself the Student Youth Mainstream, chanted slogans in the streets adjoining the University of Kassala. They called for overthrow of the regime and provision of food for the people of the state, which they considered poverty-stricken.

The protesters also called for the prosecution of those involved in an incident last Thursday, when a Land Cruiser purportedly belonging to the security service ran over five students during another demonstration.  At least three people were seriously injured, a witness said at the time.

“We were making demands for sacking the head of the university and making other demands for changes in the administration. But the police intervened by using force. That led to civilians joining the protests and then the demonstration turned into one asking the overthrow of the regime,” a student told Radio Dabanga at the time.

President Omar Al Bahir is expected to arrive today to Kassala. A statement by youth leaders distributed in Kassala on Tuesday condemned the extravagant expenses used to prepare for the reception of Al Bashir. They described it as an attempt by the state to cover the shabbiness and gloominess of the city and cover the reality of what is going on in the state.