VZCZCXRO9640
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHOU #0600 1851757
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031757Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3899
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

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