Students evicted from Khartoum dorm for ‘solidarity with protesters’

Seventeen students, of whom all are women, were evicted by the National Students Support Fund from a students’ complex in Khartoum North on Tuesday, against the backdrop of a demonstration that took place last Sunday.

One of the students told Radio Dabanga that the administration of the fund prevented the evicted students from entering the dormitories in Shambat complex. The Students Support Fund demanded they have to obtain permission from the director of Shambat to enter their dorms.

She said that this decision is a result of their solidarity with the students of the University of Khartoum who were involved in the protest and in fighting with reportedly armed student supporters of the ruling Sudanese party NCP on Sunday.

The evicted women students formed a committee to meet with representatives of the student fund. “But they refused to meet the committee, which has prompted us to take refuge at the dormitories of fellow students.”

Four university students were injured and two others were arrested at Shambat complex of the Faculty of Agriculture on Sunday, where a protest took place against alleged rigging of the students’ union elections. An attack on student Salim Suleiman El Safi, who addressed the demonstrators, resulted in fighting between groups of students. The security apparatus intervened by firing tear gas and live bullets, and arrested two of the students.

Boycott of examinations

On Wednesday and Thursday, a number of university students in Khartoum decided to boycott the university's examinations in protest against the violence between university students at Shambat complex.

The students gave the university administration 48 hours to secure the campus by preventing the entry of weapons and to return the evicted students. They demand an investigation into the events at Shambat.