On March 30, 2026, Sudanese security forces arrested two professors from the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences during a nationwide strike protesting deteriorating salaries.

Coordinated by the Sudanese University Professors Committee (LAJSO), the strike began on March 29 and reportedly achieved near-total participation across more than 30 public universities. The action followed years of demands for a revised salary structure.

Security forces broke up a protest vigil at the the University of the Holy Quran and Islamic Sciences, searching participants and detaining two professors. LAJSO condemned the arrests, defending the actions as a legitimate exercise of the right to strike.

Police also detained faculty from Bakht Al-Rida University (see report) and Kordofan University (see report).

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the arrest and detention of academics in apparent retaliation for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly — conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In addition to the harm to the immediate victim, such incidents have a chilling effect on academic freedom and undermine democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/second-day-of-sudan-professors-strike-amid-arrests-and-crackdowns
https://mashaweer-news.com/?p=43571
https://3ayin.com/strike-4-/
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260331220628441