Khartoum / Dongola — The sit-in of Darfuri students from Northern state's Dongola University in front of the Ministry of Higher Education in Khartoum against "racist practices" by the university administration entered its fourth day yesterday.

The students demand transferral to universities in the Sudanese capital. They refuse to return to Dongola.

Resigned

Some 200 students from the Faculty of Computer Science at Dongola University resigned a week ago, protesting the "racist treatment" of Darfuri students by the university administration.

They pointed out that university administration had demanded that the students form a student committee to negotiate with the university administration about their complaints. When the students did so, the university administration accused four Darfuri members of the committee of "inciting" the other students to complain.

Bathrooms

The students at the sit-in complain that they have been obstructed to use the bathrooms of the ministry and that the electricity connection they used to charge their mobile phones has been cut off.

A source in Dongola reported that a group of residents attacked Darfuri students after a quarrel between two students about whether or not the sit-in in Khartoum should be broken up.

Lecturers

The Lecturers Association of the Dongola University announced its "total rejection of anything that harms the dignity of any student or provokes tribal hatred".

In a statement on Thursday, the lecturers accused what it described as "certain parties in disguise" of adding "racial dimensions to common student protests".

The lecturers stated that the student demands concerning the university's study environment are being considered.

Darfuri students from Dongola University protesting against racism at the university in front of the Ministry of Higher Education in Khartoum (RD correspondent)