Central Reserve open fire on Darfur students; casualty figures unconfirmed

Dozens of university and high school students were injured in El Fasher yesterday when elements of the Central Reserves opened fire on them. Witnesses blamed the shooting on Central Reserve troops who were mounted on five off-road vehicles.Wounded students were taken by ambulances to El Fasher Hospital for treatment. Some people were seriously wounded, the witnesses added. A police cordon at the hospital prevented dozens of students from entering the hospital to know the status of their peers.

There where conflicting reports about the number of dead and wounded. Some said that there were three dead and seven wounded, including two who were seriously wounded.

One student told Radio Dabanga that the incident began when elements of the Central Reserve Force began severely beating a student who had tried to cut off the route being used by the force. When other students came to his aide, they opened fire on them. The student said that three students were killed on the spot. This prompted other students to leave neighboring schools.