A Khartoum criminal court has sentenced a South Sudanese university student to a prison term of five years and a fine of 1,000 SDG for an alleged violent crime.

South Sudanese students studying in Khartoum told Radio Tamazuj that the student was arrested by the police after allegedly beating a Sudanese girl. The court ruling has reportedly shocked South Sudanese nationals who are living in Khartoum.

In a separate development, the Ngok Dinka Association in Khartoum said the Sudanese police banned an event organized Friday by their community under the pretext that they lacked permission from the competent authorities.

Stephen Lual, a member of the organizing committee, said the program included folk dances and honoring of students from Abyei as well as a reception ceremony for new students to the universities.

He further said the attendants expressed discontent about the police behavior, saying that they will face difficulty in rescheduling the event due financial constraints.