Tuesday February 4, 2025
Students of Hargeisa University gather outside campus during a night protest against alleged tuition hikes and newly imposed service fees, February 4, 2025.
Hargeisa (HOL) — Protests erupted at Hargeisa University on Monday as students clashed with police over reports of increased tuition fees and newly introduced service charges. The demonstrations, which lasted several hours, resulted in damage to university property and heightened tensions on campus.
The protest, which lasted several hours, was triggered by a document allegedly issued by the university indicating a semester fee increase. Students also protested new charges for services, such as transferring between academic departments. However, university officials denied the claims, dismissing them as baseless.
“There is no tuition increase,” said a university official in a statement released late Monday. “We want to clarify to the students who protested today, their parents, and the people of Somaliland, that incorrect information was shared with them. Those inciting chaos and spreading unrest are enemies of our future.”
But for many students, the denials did little to ease their frustration. Protesters tore through parts of the campus, damaging educational resources, after seeing what they believed to be an official university document stamped with details of the fee increase.
“We’re not just angry about fees,” said one student who participated in the protest. “We’re angry because this is affecting our future at a time when many of us can barely afford basic expenses.”
Students expressed particular frustration over newly imposed fees for changing academic departments, a service that had been free in the past. “Now, if you want to transfer to a different faculty, you have to pay,” said another protesting student.
University officials pointed out that Hargeisa University remains one of the most affordable institutions in the region. They acknowledged a previous attempt to raise tuition fees, which was reversed after student protests.