April 29, 2011 (KHARTOUM) –Sudan’s security forces in the country’s northern town of Shendi severely beat and arrested student activists affiliated with the Darfur rebel group Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) led by Abdel Wahid Mohamed Al-Nur.

According to spokesman of SLM chairman’s office Mustafa Tamboor, five students at the residence of Shendi University sustained severe injuries when they were beaten on Thursday evening by members of Sudan’s security forces. He added that five other SLM students were arrested and charged with attempting to stage an anti-government protest.

"The detainees were told [by security members] that Shedni is the homeland of the president [Al-Bashir] and no rebels can ever protest in it," Tamboor said.

Supporters of the SLM-AW have recently organized a series of demonstrations in different Sudanese towns against the government of President Al-Bashir who is facing charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The protests first took place on 25 April in Sinnar State with demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans and calling for trying President Al-Bashir at the International Criminal Court which charges him with masterminding war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide allegedly committed during Darfur conflict.

Another wave of protests broke out three days later in the main three towns of Darfur region, where a number of demonstrators were arrested.

Sudan’s westernmost region of Darfur has been devastated by an armed conflict between the government and rebels accusing it of marginalizing the region. The conflict claimed the lives of 300,000 people, and displaced more than 2.7 million, according to UN agencies.

(ST)