SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Learn more.

Date of Incident: October 12, 2012

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Kara

Region & Country:Western Africa | Togo

New or Ongoing:Ongoing Incident

Following the expulsion of 24 student leaders from the University of Kara tensions remain high on campus. The regime has allegedly pressed the “Collective Save the Students” organization, which formed to advocate for the reinstatement of the expelled students and has re-energized the protest movements on campus, to cooperate or face consequences.
Subsequently, from October 12-15, 2012 a wave of violence has targeted student housing on campus. Specifically, the rooms of expelled student leaders Alinki M’claw, Agnité Massama, and Bitsioudi Birénam were all lit on fire after perpetrators sprayed gas inside the rooms through cracks in the door. After successfully extinguishing the fire in his room, Birénam reportedly also found a knife at the scene. Following these incidents, the students notified police who have said they plan to open an investigation into these incidents. However as of October 31 there has been no investigation.  
Sources:
http://www.27avril.com/blog/culture-societe/societe/togo-universite-de-kara-leaders-estudiantins-en-danger-de-mort-oeuvre-des-energumenes-commissaire-tchalla-et-officier-bimizi-mefeinoyo-sbires-du-pouvoir [French] http://liberte-togo.com/l/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1446:tentative-dassassinat-a-kara-des-responsables-du-collectif-l-sauvons-les-etudiants-r&catid=1:politique&Itemid=2 [French] http://liberte-togo.com/l/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1471:kara–retour-sur-la-tentative-dassassinat-des-etudiants-exclus-de-luniversite&catid=7:societe&Itemid=6 [French] UPDATE: This report is followed by an update. To view, please click here.