Second day of Sudan professors’ strike amid ‘arrests and crackdowns’

Sudanese university professors continued an open-ended nationwide strike for a second day yesterday, with organisers reporting near total participation, as security forces reportedly arrested academics and dispersed protest vigils at several institutions.

The Sudanese University Professors Committee said participation had reached between 95 and 100 per cent across multiple universities, though Radio Dabanga could not independently verify the figures.

The committee reported that security forces in Blue Nile state’s capital of Ed Damazin detained eight professors from Bakht El Reda University for taking part in the strike.

Other sources indicated that around ten academics from the university were held, most of whom were later released following interrogation, while at least two reportedly remained in custody.

Those arrested reportedly included Professors Musa Youssef El Barr and Walid Abdelrahman Mustafa, in addition to six other lecturers and the wife of one academic, Islam Elkhair.

The committee reported that seven detainees were later released, while Dr Nour El Daim Yagoub and his wife were still believed to be in custody.

At the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences in Omdurman, police forces reportedly broke up a protest vigil, searched participants, and briefly detained two professors before releasing them.

The committee condemned what it described as harassment and violations by security authorities, calling for the immediate release of all those still detained and holding the authorities responsible for their safety.

‘Strike to continue’

The strike centres on a long running dispute over pay and conditions. The committee has rejected a government proposal to double salaries, insisting instead on the formal approval of a revised salary structure.

It said the open-ended strike would continue until the authorities issue an official decision adopting the new pay framework.

Despite reporting widespread participation, the committee acknowledged difficulties in documenting the full extent of the strike, citing restrictions on filming, insecurity in some areas, and the continuation of some academic activities online.

Radio Dabanga was unable to independently verify arrest figures or the reported level of participation.