“Violence has entered our campuses”

The government of Côte d’Ivoire has just given the death sentence to the Federation of Students and Schools of Côte d’Ivoire (Fesci). A decision announced in two concise sentences, at the end of the press release of the National Security Council (CNS) meeting on Thursday, October 17 under the presidency of Alassane Ouattara: “ the minister [de l’enseignement supérieur] proposed the dissolution of all student union associations. The National Security Council endorsed these proposals. » A government decree should formalize in the coming days the dissolution of the powerful student union, plunged into turmoil for several weeks over a double murder story.

On Wednesday, the two ministers questioned on the subject were reserved before the press. “ I am not in the habit of commenting on actions that are part of judicial processes. », had eluded the government spokesman, Amadou Coulibaly, at the end of the council of ministers, although he acknowledged that “ Violence has entered our campuses and universities. that can no longer be accepted “.

Questioned by the world a few hours later in “RHDP Meeting”bimonthly column of the presidential party, its spokesperson Kobenan Kouassi Adjoumani returned the ball to the court of law. “ When there is a death, in a country governed by the rule of law, politics should not intervene, he declared. If it is proven that the current leaders of Fesci are at the origin [de ces crimes]Justice will decide the fate of those involved in the murder, and then justice will do its job. »

In fact, seventeen members of Fesci, including its general secretary, Sié Kambou, were detained and subjected to arrest warrants, the CNS press release reveals. They are the subject of criminal investigations into two successive murders, committed within a few weeks.

“A large batch of edged weapons”

The first is that of Khalifa Diomandé, 30, beaten to death at the end of August. A second-year master’s student in criminology, affiliated with the union, allegedly fell into a ” ambush » stretched by several “festicistas” at the request of a certain Benié Assy, “ dissatisfied with the outcome of a university scholarship case », indicated the prosecutor in a press release on October 7. Transported by his attackers to the Cocody University Hospital, he was treated there before returning home, where he died from his injuries.

Another student, Mars Aubin Déagoué, 49, known in Fesci as Sié Kambou’s rival, was in turn murdered on the night of Sunday, September 29 to Monday, September 30. The latter would have been “ kidnapped and then sexually abused by individuals identified as members » from Fesci, according to authorities.

In addition to this wave of arrests, the Ministries of Higher Education and the Interior temporarily banned the activities of all student union associations. And it launched, since October 2, several operations” sanitation on university campuses “.

According to the CNS, these operations would have allowed “ the seizure of a large consignment of edged weapons, including 107 machetes, grenades and various other materials, in particular uniforms of the defense and security forces “. They would also have allowed the discovery and destruction of “ Numerous illegal businesses, as well as four smoking rooms, a brothel and a torture tunnel. “.

Opaque rental management for students

The authorities expelled mainly 5,000 housed people” irregularly » on the Abidjan, Bouaké and Daloa campuses, while the subletting of university halls constituted a financial contribution to Fesci. The officially responsible body, the Regional Center for University Works (Crou), having partially lost control of student rentals in recent years, in fact left it to the organization to manage it under opaque conditions.

Under his government, 35% of university places were illegally occupied. Amadou Coulibaly recalled on Wednesday, or about 5,000 beds out of a total of just over 14,000, either by students who did not meet the conditions for room assignment, or by workers, and even by officials. »

The decision to dissolve the union, however, surprised observers even in the ranks of the presidential camp, until then divided on the issue. “ The most radical wanted the dissolution of Fesci, recognizes a senior executive, but the majority didn’t want it. They believe that we should not confuse the general secretary, involved in these murder cases, and the Fesci as an institution that, according to them, has begun its transformation and is increasingly presenting itself as a structure that works for peace on campus. »

Because, despite its excesses and violent practices, Fesci has managed to consolidate itself since its creation in 1990 as an essential institution for students, capable of overcoming the numerous inadequacies of the university system. “ The problems at school and university are enormous, underlines political scientist Geoffroy-Julien Kouao. The students believe that Fesci is the only association capable of defending their interests. »

All efforts to eradicate Fesci over the past three decades have ended in failure. When the government of Alassane Ouattara, then prime minister of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, declared its dissolution in 1991, the movement managed to survive underground. In 2011, after the fall of Laurent Gbagbo and when Fesci was transformed into a militia in the service of the former president, observers once again believed that the union would not recover.

“ Successive governments have preferred to forgive Fesci to avoid international strikes on university campusesexplains Geoffroy-Julien Kouao. And then there is the political factor. The school and student population is 8 million in Ivory Coast and the majority is, if not fascist, at least sympathetic to this organization.. Having Fesci against you is electorally damaging. »