BURKINA FASO: STUDENT DISTRUBANCES LEAD TO CLOSURE OF

UNCLAS OUAGADOUGOU 000600 SIPDIS AF/W FOR EMILY PLUMB AF/PD FOR DAPHNE TITUS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM SOCI ASEC UV SUBJECT: BURKINA FASO: STUDENT DISTRUBANCES LEAD TO CLOSURE OF UNIVERSITY OF OUAGADOUGOU ¶1. Summary: On June 28, the University of Ouagadougou canceled classes, postponed final exams, suspended all student services and dismissed students from its residence halls until further notice. According to university authorities, the student demonstrations that took place on the university campus on June 17 have made it impossible to hold classes at this time. The Academic and Scientific Council is scheduled to hold a meeting on July 14 to decide if the university should open to business before September. The University of Bobo-Dioulasso and University of Koudougou were not affected by the closure. End Summary. -------------- Origin of the Conflict -------------- ¶2. On June 17, students rioted on the university campus when their request to meet with the president of the University of Ouagadougou to demand better services was rejected. The university called the police and gendarmerie forces to maintain security, which led to a clash between the students and security forces. According to reports, 34 students and 14 gendarmes were injured as a result of the conflict. Security forces quickly arrested 35 students and charged them with assault, battery, and destruction of public and private property. On June 26, after a two-day trial period, 31 of the accused students were acquitted and 4 were sentenced to six months in jail. ¶3. Since January 2008, students have demonstrated several times to demand for a number of benefits including: -- Hepatitis B and Meningitis vaccinations for medical interns at Yalgado Hospital; -- Larger and better equipped lecture halls and laboratories; -- Higher allowance and more scholarships for doctoral students, whose tuition averages about FCFA 500,000 per year; -- Permission for students who fail their exams more than twice to continue their education; and, -- Hire more instructors. ¶4. In response to these demands, the government stated that it has used its limited resources to improve learning conditions at the university. During the 2007-2008 academic year, the government provided FCFA 8.5 billion of financial aid to 27,300 students out of the total of 50,000 enrolled. The government also spent FCFA 3.329 billion to construct and renovate lecture halls and classrooms at the Universities of Ouagadougou, Bobo-Dioulasso and Koudougou. -------------- Student Protestors and Burkinabe Politics -------------- ¶5. While the demonstrations took place on the campus of the University of Ouagadougou, the discussions seem to have political undertones. The organizer of the demonstrations, the Association Nationale des Etudiants du Burkina (ANEB),the most powerful student union in the country, has been accused of being associated with the communist party by its rival, the Mouvement des Etudiants du Faso (MEF). In turn, ANEB accuses MEFA of being the right hand of the ruling regime, associated with Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore's ruling political party, the Congress for Democracy and Progress (CDP). Meanwhile, student members of the CDP have condemned the demonstration and claim that opposition political parties are responsible for the university disturbances. ¶6. Comment: If the Academic and Scientific Council is unable to resolve the stalemate, it could lead to further disturbances in the near future. JACKSON