Students in Sudan exile face interrupted education and uncertain futures

What happened

Al Jazeera Sudan reports that thousands of Sudanese university students, displaced by ongoing conflict especially from Darfur, are struggling to continue their education while living in exile in neighbouring countries like the Central African Republic (CAR). Many fled after deadly fighting and sieges, including the siege of el-Fasher, which claimed civilian lives such as the father of 20-year-old pharmacy student Islam Ibrahim.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. Displacement has fractured educational continuity for these students. While some in regions held by the Sudanese Armed Forces have gradually resumed schooling despite conflict-related disruptions, millions of children and students under Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control have had no regular access to schools or nationally recognised exams for over three years, widening the educational gap along conflict lines.

For those in exile, like in the Korsi refugee camp in CAR, opportunities to resume studies exist but come with major challenges. UNHCR-supported university placements in Bangui require students to study in French instead of Arabic, forcing them to learn a new language and extend their studies amid financial hardships and psychological trauma. Many express a sense of time lost and growing uncertainty about ever returning to Sudan to complete their education.

Known from the source

• Thousands of Sudanese students have fled conflict areas, including Darfur, ending up in exile in places like the Central African Republic.
• The conflict has caused prolonged school closures, especially in RSF-held areas, impacting millions of Sudanese children and university students.
• Some displaced students have secured university placements abroad, supported by UNHCR, but face language and financial barriers.
• The Sudanese Armed Forces control areas where schooling has resumed more steadily than RSF-controlled zones.
• Individual accounts include students who lost family members in fighting and describe pressures such as forced marriages and persecution.

What remains unclear

The story of displaced students vividly illustrates wider war impacts beyond immediate violence and displacement: shattered futures, disrupted learning, and the psychological and social toll of protracted conflict. Some students also face familial pressures and trauma related to the conflict, such as forced marriages or persecution linked to political or religious dissent involving the RSF.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Claims about the extent and duration of educational disruption in RSF versus SAF areas. Verification of UNHCR's role and numbers of Sudanese students studying at University of Bangui. Casualty details such as deaths of family members cited by interviewees.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Al Jazeera Sudan. Open the source.