University age limit lifted after student protest action

The Mauritanian government has removed the age limit of 25 years for university entry after sustained protest action by students over the past weeks.

The Ministerial Committee on the Educational System Review (MCESR), led by the Prime Minister, Ismail Bedda Sheikh Sidiya, decided at a 6 November meeting to open university registration for all ages, according to a news report by the Mauritanian News Agency.

"In view of the need to decide on this subject before the end of the period of registration in higher education institutions, it was decided to open the registration for the students concerned," a MCESR statement said. "The competent higher education departments will implement this decision in accordance with the procedures in force."

Older students denied enrolment

About 700 high school graduates over the age of 25 were denied enrolment in universities and higher education institutions in 2019. The age limit was set by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in October last year, according to the National Union of Mauritanian Students (NUMS).

The age limit triggered daily peaceful demonstrations and protests by hundreds of students which were staged in front of the Mauritanian higher education ministry from 23 October, according to the NUMS Facebook page.

Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters, which apparently resulted the wounding of several, according to photographs and video footage posted on the NUMS Facebook page.

The police crackdown was condemned by parents, rights organisations, opinion leaders, opposition party members and even MPs of the ruling majority, according to El Alem.

In a statement following the lifting of the age limit, NUMS said: "We congratulate students over 25 years of age on the reversal of the decision to prevent them from enrolling in national higher education institutions.

"We thank all the Mauritanian people, including civil society organisations, political bodies, national figures, parliamentarians and jurists who have accompanied the peaceful struggle of students and defended their right to education.”

Unilateral decisions by ministry

"We affirm that the cancelled decision is one of many unilateral decisions taken by the minister of higher education against student interests, whether at the academic or service level, which should be reviewed quickly,” NUMS said.

"We call for the opening of an urgent dialogue involving all components of the university family in order to readjust the compass of higher education and return it to its normal path, away from improvisation in decisions and confusion in the management adopted by the official policy of the minister of higher education since his appointment as head of the sector.”

Referring to the police, the student union said the organisation was “on track” to hold torturers to account for their “brutal practices" against student protesters.

The Mauritanian Human Rights Watch (MHRW) also denounced what it called the repression of students and, two days after the demonstrations began, called for an inquiry into their alleged torture by police.

“Those responsible for these practices must be held accountable for their actions,” MHRW said in a 25 October statement.

Human rights

MHRW called for an end to all forms of violations of citizens’ rights to peaceful demonstrations, stressing that the latest images of “violent repression” constitute a “serious setback” in the mushrooming of public freedoms and human rights in Mauritania.

It said depriving Mauritanian citizens of their right to education was “an attack on a fundamental human right that cannot be tolerated”.

The MHRW statement indicated that the decision to limit the age of enrolment in higher education institutions was “incompatible with the constitution” and with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Constitution of Mauritania stipulates that it adheres to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which gives its rules a constitutional status, Mauritanian lawyer Mohamed Sidi Ould Abdel Rahman said in an article published in Al Akhbar.

Abdel Rahman said the age limitation was a violation of international obligations, especially as UN experts are deliberating on ways to enable older persons to benefit from education through lifelong learning initiatives.