Mauritania students boycott classes over bus fares

University students in Mauritania's capital Nouakchott boycotted lectures on Tuesday to protest against higher transport prices and demand better living and study conditions.

Al Aasriya University, the country's largest, was almost deserted during the boycott, AFP journalists reported. Some students said they were protesting against an increase in the price of state-subsidised transport from 5 ouguiyas, about $0.13, to 30 ouguiyas, about $0.75.

Students also demanded more bus services and improvements to living and study conditions. Since Friday, a “Student Front” made up of students and several unions has held several on-campus demonstrations while calling for strikes, sit-ins and marches to obtain “concrete responses” from authorities.

Police used batons and tear gas on Monday to disperse a gathering of students on and around the campus.

The Higher Education Ministry recently announced measures it said were aimed at improving the situation. It cited rising student numbers as a factor and said the government had added more bus services in response.