Opposition demands university's opening

A coalition of 12 opposition parties,
the Coordination des forces democratiques (CFD), has demanded the "immediate" re-opening of Niger's sole university, whose closure was announced on Thursday by the government. The coalition criticised the government's decision as "authoritarian and illegal".

The move was sparked by clashes on Wednesday between students and security forces, which the coalition blamed on the government. Thursday's announcement led to clashes between students and troops deployed on the campus to enforce the decision. Media organisations reported that 46 people were wounded in the clashes.

The coalition has called on the government to meet the students to address their demands. Students have been pressing, for the last four weeks, for better living conditions, financial aid and the restructuring of national examinations, the agency reported.