Mauritania Students Protest Rising Transport Costs, Poor Study Conditions

University students in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott staged a boycott Tuesday to protest against transport price rises and demand better living and study conditions.

The campus was almost deserted as students boycotted lectures at Al Aasriya University, the country’s largest, AFP journalists reported.

Some told AFP they were protesting against increases in the price of state subsidised transport from 5 ouguiyas (around $0.13) to 30 ouguiyas ($0.75).

They demanded an increase in bus services and for improvements to living and study conditions.

Since last Friday, a “Student Front” comprising students and several unions has held several on-campus demonstrations while calling for strikes, sit-ins and marches to obtain “concrete responses” from authorities.

On Monday, police used batons and tear gas to disperse a gathering of students on and around the campus.

The ministry of higher education recently announced measures aimed at improving the situation, citing rising student numbers as a factor but adding the government had laid on more bus services in response.

AFP

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