African universities press for tight security on campuses

The Association of African Universities (AAU) has called on educational and learning institutions in Africa to ensure increased security measures on their campuses.

In a statement released on Friday in the Cameroonian media, AAU justifies this call by the concern for securing lives and property.

AAU based its concerns on the recent attack on students of Garissa University College in Kenya which resulted in the death of at least 147 students with many others injured, the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria, but also the many atrocities perpetrated by some so-called religious fundamentalists on innocent citizens across Africa.

Deeply concerned and saddened by deadly raids on students, AAU offers its sincere condolences to families, friends and all those affected by these acts of barbarity which it condemns.

Education is the key to development in every society, so it is very sickening to see students, Africa’s future leaders, losing their lives or being maimed by unorthodox and barbaric acts in search of knowledge, the statement reads.

This must not go unpunished, AAU emphasized, calling on the international community, the African Union, other regional organizations in Africa and all religious organizations to join forces to bring the perpetrators to justice.

It therefore, called on all universities to strengthen collaboration with the various security forces in their countries, to ensure that campuses and school work spaces are secure and well guarded.

Based in Accra, Ghana, after its creation in Morocco in November 1967, the AAU is an organization of choice and a forum for consultation, information exchange and cooperation between higher education institutions on the continent.