The following information was provided during telephone interviews on 12 and 13 May 2004 with a representative of the Journalists' Network for Human Rights (Réseau des journalistes pour les droits de l'homme, RJDH), a Nigerien non-governmental organization for the protection and promotion of human rights. The RJDH representative is also a journalist for Groupe alternatif, a community radio station that broadcasts from Niamey, and, while he was a student at the University of Niamey, he acted as the press secretary for the executive committee of the University of Niamey's Nigerien Student Union (Union des étudiants nigériens de l'université de Niamey, UENUN) from 1992 to 1994.

The UENUN is a division of the Nigerien Student Union (Union des scolaires nigériens, USN), a labour organization founded in 1960 that ensures the interests of Nigerien students from primary school through to university. The UENUN's objective is to improve the quality of life for students at the University of Niamey. The UENUN has a general assembly of all University of Niamey students and an executive committee made up of six members: the secretary-general and his assistant, the academic and social affairs secretary and his assistant, the press secretary, and the sports and cultural affairs secretary. Before 21 February 2001, a person by the name of Moctar (first name) held the position of academic and social affairs secretary, but he resigned from this role before the demonstrations held on 21 February 2001 and was replaced by his assistant, Mahamadou Ibrahima. The UENUN also has commissions that deal with various issues, such as order and security.

The RJDH representative said that, on 21 February 2001, the UENUN had organized demonstrations not only to demand payment of overdue scholarship money but also to protest against the privatization of some university services. During these demonstrations, violent conflicts erupted between students and security forces and several students were arrested. Some of these students were taken into custody and released from prison a few months later. One gendarme was wounded and taken to Côte d'Ivoire, where he died a few days later from his injuries. After the demonstrations, the University of Niamey campus was closed for approximately one year, while the National Center for University Works (Centre national des œuvres universitaires, CNOU) and the university restaurant, transportation (bus) and health services were privatized.

Other student demonstrations were held on 8 October 2003 for the same reasons. During these demonstrations, property was damaged (cars and houses were burned) and students were injured in conflicts.

The RJDH representative said that he was not aware of any student demonstrations in October 2002, or of a hunger strike following the arrest of students on 19 April 2001. He did say, however, that students frequently organize hunger strikes in front of parliament for a few days in groups of three to ten to protest scholarship arrears or demand that scholarships be increased.

Sources corroborated that student demonstrations took place on 21 February 2001 at the University of Niamey (AFP 24 Jan. 2002; Africa Research Bulletin 31 May 2001, 14387; Vision 20 Aug. 2003; Country Reports 2001 Apr. 2002, Sec. 2.b) to protest scholarship arrears (ibid.) and the government's decision to privatize the restaurant and [translation] "university campuses" (AFP 24 Jan. 2002). Various sources referred to the February 2001 student demonstrations and indicated that violent conflicts between students and security forces had resulted in the death of a gendarme (Africa Research Bulletin 31 May 2001, 14387; Vision 20 Aug. 2003; Country Reports 2001 Apr. 2002, Sec. 2.b; AI 2002) and the arrest of nearly 20 students (ibid.; Country Reports 2001 Apr. 2002, Sec. 1.c; RJDH Jan. 2002). According to Amnesty International, most of the students who were arrested had been released, but two, including Ousmane Abdelmoumine, the UENUN's secretary-general, remained in custody at the end of 2001 (2002). The 21 February 2001 demonstrations also resulted in the closing of the university restaurant (AFP 24 Jan. 2002; Vision 20 Aug. 2003), called "Restaurant Issaka Kaïne" (ibid.), and of the [translation] "university campuses" (AFP 24 Jan. 2002). The restaurant and university campus were closed for approximately one year, until January 2002 (ibid.).

With regard to the privatization of services at the University of Niamey, the RJDH stated that government authorities [translation] "had brazenly privatized the CNOU, benefiting businessmen with close ties to officials of the current regime" (16 Oct. 2003).

No information on a demonstration allegedly held in October 2002, or on the arrest of students at a demonstration held on 19 April 2001 could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the 31 May 2001 issue of the Africa Research Bulletin indicated that, on 17 April 2001, the UENUN executive committee "urged students to continue their boycott of classes and not to yield to 'dividing manoeuvres of the government'" (14387). According to the same source, the Nigerien government "offered to pay one month's worth of overdue scholarship money to all students who went back to class in early April [2001]" (Africa Research Bulletin 31 May 2001, 14387).

One source indicated that students at the University of Niamey had organized demonstrations on 8 October 2003, during which security forces forcibly dispersed the protesters and several students were injured (RJDH 16 Oct. 2003). However, this source did not specify whether the UENUN had participated in organizing the demonstrations. The Federation of Francophone Students in Belgium (Fédération des étudiant(e)s francophones de Belgique, FEF) indicated in a 21 October 2003 release that the FEF [translation] "had learned of an AFP article announcing the closure of the University of Niamey campus, as well as the arrest of at least six leaders of the UENUN and members of the USN steering committee." This article did not, however, specify the date the UENUN leaders were arrested, or when the campus had been closed.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Africa Research Bulletin [London]. 31 May 2001. Vol. 38, No. 4. "In Brief: Niger."

Agence France Presse (AFP). 24 January 2002. "Réouverture du campus universitaire de Niamey." http://www.izf.net/izf/Actualite/archives_afp/2002/niger.htm [Accessed 10 May 2004]

Amnesty International (AI). 2002. Rapport 2002. "Niger." London: Amnesty International.

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2001. April 2002. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. United States Government Printing Office.

Fédération des étudiant(e)s francophones de Belgique (FEF). 21 October 2003. "Niger : un mouvement étudiant étouffé." (http://www.fef.be/page1222.html( [Accessed 10 May 2004]

Réseau des journalistes pour les droits de l'homme (RJDH), Niamey. 12 and 13 May 2004. Telephone interviews with a representative.

_____. 16 October 2003. "Réaction des organisations de la société civile : déclaration de presse." http://www.rjdh-niger.org/alerte/archives.htm [Accessed 11 May 2004]

_____. January 2002. Rapport d'activités 2001. http://www.rjd-niger.org/alerte/archives.htm [Accessed 11 May 2004]

Vision [Niamey]. 20 May 2003. No. 10. "Ventre affamé n'a point d'oreille." http://www.tamtaminfo.com/vision10.pdf [Accessed 11 May 2004]

Publications: Africa Confidential, Jeune Afrique/L'Intelligent, Keesing's Record of World Events, Resource Centre country file, West Africa.

Internet sites, including: Africatime, AllAfrica, Dialog, FIDH, HRW, Libération, ReliefWeb.