Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), Senegal’s largest and most prominent university, has suspended all student associations following violent protests over unpaid scholarships that left a second-year medical student dead.
The unrest unfolded on the university’s campus in Dakar, where students had been demonstrating against delays in the disbursement of stipends — a recurring grievance that has long disrupted the country’s academic calendar. Tensions escalated when security forces entered the campus to disperse protesters, firing tear gas and confronting students who reportedly threw stones in response.
Amid the clashes, student Abdoulaye Ba was killed during what authorities described as a police intervention under unclear circumstances. Videos circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes, including officers striking a man with batons. The government has called the death a “tragedy” and acknowledged instances of police brutality.
Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cisse defended the deployment of security forces, asserting that some demonstrators had attempted to damage university property.
In a statement, UCAD’s academic council said it was “deeply affected by this tragedy” and announced the precautionary suspension of all student associations until further notice, citing safety concerns.
Student groups have held the country’s leadership responsible for the violence and are demanding a temporary closure of the university. The latest unrest underscores persistent instability in Senegal’s higher education system, where strikes and funding delays have repeatedly interrupted studies and left students without financial support for extended periods.