Mekelle University handles protests with brutality

By Tedros G. Belay

On 23 December a group of students at Mekelle University protesting against the university’s alleged poor quality of food and lack of hygienic materials was met with brutality from the local police. A student who spoke to me on the condition of anonymity said that shortly after the students began protesting at the FBE campus of the university, uniformed security personnel streamed into the campus. They then arbitrarily detained fourteen students (one more student was detained the following night). The students were not only beaten and  threatened, but were also prevented from leaving the campus.  University staff without ID cards were also detained, presumably mistaken for being students. The security forces gathered everyone and forced them into the campus stadium. In addition, security forces targeted students, including those in female dormitories, by beating them as they went around each dormitory.

The following day, more students joined the protest and began a hunger strike, demanding the release of the students detained the previous day. However, the security forces arrived at the scene within minutes and forcibly broke up the hunger strike. Many students were dragged to the student canteen and forced to eat the same food they had been protesting against. 

Fana Hagos Berhane, current president of Mekelle University.

Another student I spoke with for this story said that this was not the first time concerns had been raised concerns about the university’s food, noting their first protest took place in mid-October of 2024. Despite the university administration’s promise to address these issues, nothing was actually done. The student said they could no longer tolerate the management’s broken promises. Protesting against the university administration was the only option let to them, he added.

The university, despite its reputation for academic excellence and strong industry connections, has also faced criticisms for corrupt internal practices. These issues are closely tied to the history of its former presidents and their connections to the Central Committee of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the regional ruling party notorious for its repressive rule. While this historical connection may partly explain the university’s current shortcomings, it is still deeply troubling that a university led by a human rights expert has chosen to address students’ concerns through violence, by involving the police.

Centuries have passed since the universities were regarded as mere skill-producing factories. Nowadays, universities’ mandate extends beyond skill development; they are expected to be  centres for nurturing minds and attitudes that challenge global and local norms, systems, and more. However, Mekelle University, a top-rated university in Ethiopia, led by a dean with a  PhD in human rights,  seems indifferent to these core mandates, instead aligning itself with the ruling party.

Student protests against systems, governance, or norms are a critical component of academic discourse. Universities should approach these situations as opportunities to engage in productive dialogues, supporting an environment where challenges to established practices can lead to growth and understanding. Moreover, allowing students to exercise their rights of freedom of expression gives concrete life to the academic study of these crucial ideals. However, my former university’s administration has utterly failed in its handling of the concerns of its students, passing on the task to unruly security forces. According to Facebook posts by students, university students were  roughed up, beaten, and even dragged away by force. These incidents, documented through students’ scattered cell phone  footage, show a harsh picture of a university where dissent is not tolerated, but brutally suppressed.

What makes the university’s action ironic is that its current president is someone who has a PhD in human rights, of which the right to protest is a central component. If there was someone best qualified to handle a students protest, it should have been her. But now, as before, she chose to handle the protest with violence. The magnitude of her reluctance extends far beyond the two recent incidents of mistreatment of students. And this was reflected on the official statement the university posted, where it absolves itself of any responsibility and instead ascribes blame to the defenceless students whose only crime is voicing their frustrations. 

Door being damaged by security forces at the female residences of Mekelle University’s FBE campus. Photo: Facebook

The situation at Mekelle University is especially disturbing given its location in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, a region still suffering under a complex political landscape and  under the  devastating Tigray genocide since the last four years. The university itself was subjected to multiple drone strikes and bombardments. Its Tigrayan students, staff, and alumni have faced immeasurable suffering and loss, including death and the denial of their salaries for around two years. The university’s much-anticipated resumption in early 2023, following a ceasefire agreement, had ignited hope that, under the guidance of Fana Hagos, it would play a vital role in recovery, reconstruction, and most importantly, in supporting the demand for justice and accountability efforts to the victims of the Tigray genocide. Unfortunately, it has been trying its level best to crush the hopes of the community.

The first ominous sign was when students who suffered during the Tigray genocide demanded for the university’s administration to implement the promised crash-course delivering methods in early April 2024. According to BBC Tigrinya’s report the students faced a wave of violence during what should have been a peaceful protest. Numerous were beaten brutally and few were detained arbitrarily.

On April 6, 2024, BBC Tigrinya reported that Mekelle University students were detained following a peaceful protest. Photo: BBC Tigrinya

Similarly, on 23 December 2024, students driven by the concerns of food quality and hygiene offered by the university’s cafeteria organized a peaceful demonstration demanding the management to improve and take actions. And yet,  the university responded in a similar fashion, even far more brutal than the previous one. A university student whom I spoke with   said: “We just wanted to be heard, But instead we were treated like criminals”. For the students, it is not a matter of an academic debate any longer. Most are now terrified and intimidated, undermining their learning experience. They have been forced to cast doubt on the essence of the university.

It is past time to hold Mekelle University’s administration accountable for their actions and to demand a future where the rights of students are not only respected but also strongly protected. As someone who studied at the university, I can testify that the actions by the leadership are not simply a case of mismanagement. Rather, they represent a fundamental failure to uphold core human rights principles and a deep disregard for the values that are central to the academic mission the university purports to uphold.

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Tedros was previously a student at Mekelle University.