Darfur university students strike against tuition fee

Darfuri students from four different universities began a strike on Sunday, 30 September, for not being exempted by their institutions to pay tuition fees. They explained to Radio Dabanga that according to the Abuja and Doha agreements, Darfuris enrolled in national universities across Sudan do not have to pay school tariffs. Students’ leaders said that despite the agreements, four universities refused to register new students who did not pay their tuition fees. They added the fees range between 400 and 500 Sudanese pounds per year. According to students’ leaders, these universities are: Alzaiem Alazhari University (Khartoum North), University of Bahri (Khartoum), Al Qur’an Al Karim University (Omdurman) and Bakht Alrida (White Nile State). They added that on Thursday 27 September, Al Qur’an Al Karim and Bakht Alrida students had already protested against its administrators, who refused to enroll them unless they paid school tariffs. Students’ leaders appealed to the Ministry of Finance, the Darfur Regional Authority and the governments of the five states of Darfur to solve this problem so they do not miss their school year.