Darfur students accuse DRA of becoming tool for Sudan’s ruling party
October 11, 2014 (KHARTOUM) – The alliance of Darfur student associations in Sudanese universities have lashed out at the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) headed by Tigani el-Sissi, saying it has turned into a tool to implement policies of the ruling National Congress Party.
The students denounced the DRA lack of action towards the arrest campaign carried out by the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) against Darfur students, describing the Darfurian MPs and ministers in the government as “cowards”.
The head of the alliance, Kamal al-Zain, threatened in a press conference on Saturday to “take actions”, which he has not identified, if the NISS did not release the detained female students and stop its campaign.
Last week, NISS forcefully evicted 70 female Darfur students from the Al-Zahra dorms at the University of Khartoum for maintenance purposes after they refused to leave the student barracks.
The National Students Welfare Fund (NSWF) said the female dorm building is ramshackle; pointing it offered the students an alternative accommodation until the new high rise building is complete.
Last Monday, several students told Sudan Tribune that the NSWF asked them to evacuate the building since 25 September for maintenance purposes. They pointed out that the eviction order was carried out in a critical time because it coincided with the Eid al-Adha holidays.
Fatima Fadul, an activist, accused the DRA of forfeiting its responsibility towards Darfur’s female students as well as exercising political pressure on them.
She told Sudan Tribune that the students’ officer at the DRA contacted the evicted students last Wednesday and pledged to offer them an apartment but she did not fulfil her promise.
Fadul added that the DRA information officer contacted the evicted students on Saturday and promised to provide them food with supplies before she asked them not to participate in a press conference organised by the No to Women’s Oppression Initiative (NWOI).
She emphasised that 22 Darfur female students were detained since the beginning of the events, saying that six of them have been released.
The same activist pointed to disappearance of the student Nemat Ahmed Haroun who studies at the Omdurman Islamic University, saying her parents in Darfur had lost contacts with her.
Meanwhile, the secretary general of the opposition National Umma Party (NUP), Sara Nugd Allah, revealed formation of four committees to support the evicted students, saying they will submit a memorandum to the ministry of high education and presidents of Sudanese universities to denounce the move against the students.
Sa’adia al-Shiekh, a student, from her part held the NSWF fully responsible for the students’ eviction, saying they sought refuge at the headquarters of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP).
She stressed that NISS released three students while several others had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
The member of Darfur lawyers committee, Youssef Adam, said the missing students were likely being kidnapped.
The NWOI issued a statement asking for exempting the detained students from exams and offer them shelter urgently, accusing NISS of exercising verbal and physical violence against the students during the eviction process.
(ST)