Soldiers beat up protesting students in Faranah

Soldiers were sent into the university campus in the city of Faranah in central Guinea earlier this week to break up two days of demonstrations by students protesting against poor living conditions and the high price of rice, a student in the city told IRIN by telephone on Thursday. He confirmed reports circulating in the capital Conakry that students at the university of agronomy and vetinary science in Faranah staged demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday to protest at the dreadful living conditions in university residences and the soaring price of rice, Guinea's staple food. Soldiers were sent in to break up the demonstrations on Tuesday, arresting several students and beating up many others, some of whom were now in hospital, the student said. The arrests continued on Wednesday, he added Education ministry officials declined to comment on the report, saying Higher Education Minister Sekou Dacasy Camara had gone to Faranah, 400 km east of Conakry, on Thursday. The student said the protestors were particularly upset at the lack of electricity and water and the poor sanitary conditions at the university, where many students had contracted various forms of diarrhoea. They were also incensed at the rising price of rice which was forcing many of them to go hungry, he added. Following rice riots in Conakry in June and July, President Lansana Conte ordered the price to be fixed at 40,000 Guinean francs per 50 kg bag. However, continuing shortages and the rapid depreciation of the Guinean franc have since pushed rices prices as high as 100,000 francs per bag. That is currently equivalent to about $28 on the parallel market - more than most Guineans earn in a month. Local watchers of the political scene noted that the student disturbances had broken out two weeks before the official start of the new academic year for schools and colleges on 4 October. Further protests can be expected then since the cost of tuition fees, uniforms, school materials and public transport has risen sharply, they said. The Canada-based internet news service Guineenews (www.boubah.com) said 27,000 candidates had sought admission to Guinea's universities and colleges of higher education this year, but there were only enough places to accommodate 7,000.