The attack on Garissa University College, in which at least 147 people were killed, have left us shocked and distraught. As staff and students of another African university, the University of the Witwatersrand, we feel a kinship with our Kenyan colleagues. As South Africans, we understand the power of global solidarity in the face of those who use hate to divide a society. And as academics and students, we understand the vital need for universities and institutions of learning to provide protected space for intellectual pursuits. We urge our own government, and the people and governments of Kenya and the rest of Africa, to safeguard basic human rights on our continent, especially academic freedom and the right to free speech.

We sign in support of the Kenyan people, of the staff and students of Garissa University College and in memory of those who lost their lives.

Today, we are all Garissans.