Three students arrested as Sudan’s protests continue for third day

January 10, 2018 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese police on Wednesday has dispersed student protests in Khartoum against deteriorating economic conditions amid reports that three students were arrested by security services.

An eyewitness told Sudan Tribune that police fired tear gas inside the University of Khartoum (UofK) to prevent an angry student from taking to streets.

They stressed that police and security elements have been deployed on campus, saying they used excessive force against the students.

Also, the police dispersed a large protest by the female students of the Ahfad University for Women in Khartoum’s twin city of Omdurman in which they chanted slogans denouncing the high cost of living.

A number of political activists underlined that three students belonging to the Independent Student Conference, the student arm of the opposition Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP) have been detained.

According to the activists, the detained students from the UofK include Mai Faisal, Wifaq Qurashi and Wali Omer.

Meanwhile, the Gathering of the University of Khartoum Professors said the students were confronted by excessive violence just because they expressed their constitutional rights peacefully.

In a statement seen by Sudan Tribune Wednesday, the gathering of the professors said the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) elements have forcefully stormed the campus and terrorized the students.

It pointed out that the NISS “abducted three students under the sight of the university administrative authorities”, denouncing what it described as “barbaric and violent behaviour of the NISS towards our students”.

The statement held the university administration fully responsible for the events, saying its weak stance has encouraged NISS’s actions.

It further expressed full support for the students’ constitutional right to reject the economic policies peacefully.

(ST)