The Ivory Coast National Security Council announced the dissolution of student unions across the country on Thursday, including the Federation Student and School Association of Côte d’Ivoire (FESCI), over their alleged involvement in criminal activities including the killing of two students.
The government opened a judicial inquiry into the killing of the students, carried out arrests of suspects, seized weapons, shut down numerous illegal businesses allegedly operated by student unions and evicted all persons illegally housed in university buildings.
Around 17 students were arrested in the investigations into the murders of the students. An additional 28 students were arrested following the eviction operations carried out in the university residences of Abidjan and Bouaké. The Security Council reported evicting 5,000 individuals illegally housed in the university residences of Abidjan, Bouaké, and Daloa. In addition, numerous illegal businesses including 4 smoking rooms, a brothel and a torture tunnel, were destroyed. The headquarters of FESCI and the Students’ Committee and Students from Ivory Coast (CEECI) in Abidjan, Daloa, and Bouaké were also demolished.
FESCI called the ban “a flagrant violation of the right to association, assembly, and peaceful demonstration conferred by the Constitution” and denied any involvement in the deaths, according to the Associated Press.
Students Khalifa Diomandé and Zigui Mars Aubin Déagoué were allegedly killed in August and September by members of FESCI. Consequently, Kambou Sié, the National Secretary General of FESCI, was implicated and summoned by the Criminal Police Directorate. He allegedly appeared at the police premises accompanied by people wielding clubs and machetes. All of them were arrested and detained relating to their participation in the assassination of Diamandé. During the hearing of the murder of Déagoué, Gnonsoro Aubin Cédric stated that “no crime can be committed within the FESCI environment without Kambou Sié being informed.”
Since the early 1990s, FESCI has been accused of human rights violations. FESCI has also been accused of receiving financial contributions from high-ranking political figures. On numerous occasions, it has allegedly attacked students, especially those considered rivals to the student union. The union has also been accused of criminally controlling key university facilities, such as housing, through illegal seizure and subletting.
Unlike the previous governments, which had failed to take action against alleged crimes committed by FESCI members, the current government is seen to be taking a strong stance towards promoting campus peace and a conducive environment for academic activities.
