Lomé, Togo - Students of the University of Lome staged a violent demonstration on Friday to press for the reinstatement of the president of the Movement for Togolese Students' Survival (MEET), Séibou Adou, who was expelled last week for leading protest actions on the campus. Security agents violently dispersed the demonstrators with tear gas and arrested several of the students who erected road blocks with tree trunks and burning tyres.

The Minister of Security, General Gnama Latta, who addressed the students, informed them that the government and university authorities decided on Thursday to suspend the expulsion of Adou.

According to sources close to MEET, negotiations between leaders of the students' union and government representatives are scheduled for Friday at the Prime Minister’s Office.

Students of the University of Lome have since 25 May been demonstrating almost on a daily basis for the revision of the new Licence-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system.

They are also clamouring for better living and academic conditions and the re-introduction of their suspended scholarship of a quarterly financial assistance of 20,000 francs CFA.

Pana 02/07/2011