Ivorian president reacts to clashes between university students and police

On arrival from the African Union Summit in Kigali, Rwanda on Monday evening, the Ivorian president denounced clashes between the Felix Houphouet-Boigny university students and the police.

Many students and police officials were injured and property damaged when students, led by their students’ union, protested against poor conditions on campus, the arrest of some students and police presence at the university in the Ivorian economic capital Abidjan, reports say.

President Ouattara said at the airport in Abidjan that the government will find measures to address the students’ concerns by Wednesday to bring peace to the university.

“We were informed of student demonstrations. The government, next Wednesday will announce measures to maintain peace in the university so that students can work and study in the best conditions,” Ouattara assured.

Two cars were reportedly burned, seven damaged and several windows on the campus were shattered as students threw stones at the police who also fired tear gas.

Scores of students have been arrested including a leader of the FESCI since the clashes started infuriating the angry students.

“The students were striking for a week for academic demands and they tried holding a rally on campus when they were dispersed by the police,” Saint Clair Allah, secretary general of the students’ union told AFP.

A spokesman of the Ivorian Ministry of Interior said the police have been stationed permanently on campus.

Calm has however returned on the campus.