National Assembly: Crisis in universities, two ministers questioned

The parliamentary fact-finding mission tasked with examining the causes of instability in public universities is continuing its hearings. After hearing from the Minister of Infrastructure, Déthié Fall, on July 9, the members of parliament received the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Mouhamadou Makhtar Cissé, on July 13.

According to Walf Quotidien, this hearing focused primarily on security management in and around university campuses. Parliamentarians questioned the minister about the intervention procedures of the Defense and Security Forces, the protection of people and property, respect for academic autonomy, as well as crisis prevention mechanisms and coordination between administrative, academic, and security authorities to prevent tensions from escalating into violence.

A few days earlier, Déthié Fall had been questioned about the progress of university construction projects. Discussions focused on delays, obstacles encountered, and measures being considered to accelerate infrastructure development, in a context marked by study, accommodation, and living conditions deemed inadequate for students, the same source noted.

Through this series of hearings, the daily newspaper reports, the parliamentary mission intends to establish a diagnosis of the causes of instability in public universities, identify responsibilities, highlight the shortcomings of crisis prevention mechanisms and formulate recommendations to strengthen security on campuses, improve university governance, accelerate infrastructure projects and offer better living conditions for students.