Dreams Delayed by War
On 28 December 2024, Sudan commenced its nationwide secondary school certificate examinations with 343,644 students participating. These exams serve as the sole gateway for students seeking university admission in Sudan.
The examinations faced their first delay since Sudan's independence when war broke out in April 2023, disrupting the original schedule that would have seen 513,000 students taking the exams in June 2023.
As territorial disputes continue between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), students from several regions have been excluded from the 2024 examinations. Those affected include students from the entire Darfur region, substantial portions of the three Kordofan states, and the capital cities of Khartoum and Bahri. The government's decision to restrict exam administration to the Central, Northern, Eastern, and Southern states, with Omdurman serving as a primary examination center, has sparked nationwide controversy. In Delling city, South Kordofan, students took to the streets in protest after learning that examination papers might not reach their area.
Approximately 50,000 Sudanese students are scheduled to take their examinations in foreign countries. Egypt has emerged as the primary host, accommodating 27,000 students across 27 examination centers. However, complications have arisen in Chad, where President Mahamat Idriss Déby has banned Sudanese students from taking their national examinations, insisting that displaced students should instead follow Chad's educational curriculum.
Growing concerns over student safety have intensified amid explicit threats from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to attack examination centers in government-controlled areas. RSF commander Malik Abu Shatal, in a statement published on the group's official Telegram channel, warned parents against sending their children to government-controlled states, citing risks of drone attacks and forced conscription. The situation has become particularly dire as RSF forces have actively prevented students from leaving their controlled territories to reach examination centers, as demonstrated in White Nile state.
Voices from the Ground
Interviews available on request
Avaaz is in contact with human rights defenders, civilians, and Emergency Response Room (ERRs) volunteers across Sudan. If you would like to be connected with people on the ground, please reach out to: shayna@avaaz.org or media@avaaz.org
Names have been changed due to safety concerns.
Ahmed told Avaaz that "I just came back from my first exam, and it went well, although we were very nervous. We still live in a war zone here in Omdurman and could be attacked at any point, but thank God we survived today.
I was preparing for my high school exams when the war erupted. The war made us forget many things, especially our education. Suddenly I am now 19 years old and only taking my high school exams. Under normal circumstances, I would be in my second year of university by now, but I am thankful that I am able to take the exams at all - many of my friends cannot even do that.
After the war erupted, I had to work to help my family. This has allowed me to afford the courses and books needed to pass the exams.
I want to be a mechanical engineer. Right now, I help my family by selling falafel in the market, but hopefully after the exams, I will get into the technician institute and develop my skills.”
While Ahmed managed to sit for his national high school exams, thousands of other students, like Mariam, were unable to do so.
Mariam told Avaaz that "My dream was to get into business school at Sudan University. However, we lost everything in our displacement journey from Bahri to here in Omdurman. My father lost his job, and we are barely getting by. I cannot even afford preparations for the exams, like buying books or taking refreshment courses.
It has been almost two years since we last went to school, and so much has happened since then. My mother became ill, and I am now taking care of her and my younger siblings. I had to make the difficult decision not to take the exams this year. I don't think I will even be able to take them in the next round in March 2025.
We need this war to end so we can focus and get back to our lives."
I'm Shayna Lewis, a Sudan Specialist with Avaaz, reporting this week from XX. This dispatch is the latest in a weekly series designed to support the international media's coverage of the war in Sudan.
The weekly dispatch features the latest developments, first-hand testimony, footage, photos, stats and analysis on Sudan. We can connect you with voices from the ground, experts and survivors of the war. I am available at +44 7935 296 004 / shayna@avaaz.org
To get this briefing in your inbox each week, sign up here.
The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) is building an earthen wall around El Fasher to create a “kill box” and prevent civilians fleeing the besieged city, satellite imagery suggests.
People caught trying to smuggle food into the besieged city of El Fasher are being “executed on sight” by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), according to one civilian.
Avaaz Foundation
110 Golden Lane | London, England, EC1Y 0TG
1330 6th Avenue, Suite 23A | New York, NY 10019, USA
.svg)
