CAMEROON

Police and students clash at Buea University
Police clashed with students at the University of Buea during a student demonstration protesting about unpaid bonuses and against penalties imposed for late payment of fees.Buea is currently regarded as among the best universities in Cameroon and is one of two English speaking universities in the country.
Camer.be reported the university was “paralysed” last Monday and there were “many injuries” caused by the police action on the Molyko campus of the university in Buea, the administrative centre of the country’s South-west region.
The students were demanding payment of a bonus of FCFA50,000 (US$81) promised by President Paul Biya to students at the country’s eight state universities, and cancellation of fines of FCFA10,000 imposed by the university’s rector on students for late online payment of fees.
Camer.be reported that many attempts by the university’s deputy rector to calm the students had failed, and that the regional authority had announced measures to “stop anyone found preventing the smooth running of courses”.
The police surrounded the campus, and also patrolled Buea town. Some police officers took advantage of the situation and beat up members of the public who were going about their daily business, and the town’s shopping centre was closed, reported Camer.be.
This article is drawn from local media. University World News cannot vouch for the accuracy of the original reports.