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. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: December 21, 2024

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):University of Maroua

Region & Country:Central Africa | Cameroon

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On December 21, 2024, police used tear gas and forcibly dispersed students protesting at University of Maroua’s Ouro Tchede campus.

The students were protesting against the university’s attempt to delay academic excellence bonuses–a payment that top students receive–when the police used batons and teargas to disperse them.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about the use of force against peaceful student protesters by police. While state authorities have an obligation to take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of students and university personnel and should endeavor to prevent disruptions that inappropriately inhibit the functioning of or access to higher education, they must do so consistent with their responsibility to ensure academic freedom and free expression on campus. The punishment of nonviolent student expression undermines academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://k-news24.com/universite-de-maroua-les-etudiants-reclament-leur-prime-detournee-par-ladministration/#google_vignette
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1168144568644855&id=100063479689524