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Senegal’s largest university, Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), has suspended all student associations following violent protests over unpaid scholarships that left one student dead.
Authorities at UCAD announced the decision on Thursday, days after a second-year medical student, Abdoulaye Ba, was killed during a police operation on campus in the capital, Dakar. University gates and student residences have remained shut since the incident.
In a statement, UCAD’s academic council said it was deeply affected by the tragedy and had opted to suspend student associations on a precautionary basis until further notice to restore calm and ensure safety on campus.
Protests over delayed stipend payments, a long-standing grievance among Senegalese students, escalated earlier this week into clashes with security forces. Demonstrations have periodically disrupted academic activities for years, often marked by confrontations between students and law enforcement.
Footage circulating on social media showed chaotic scenes, with security personnel entering university grounds and firing tear gas into buildings. Students were seen hurling stones in response.
The government described the death of Abdoulaye Ba as a tragedy and acknowledged instances of police brutality.Â
However, Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cisse defended the security response, alleging that some protesters attempted to vandalise university property.
A coalition of student associations blamed the president, prime minister and other state officials for the violence and called for the university to remain closed indefinitely.
Recurring strikes by students and faculty have long disrupted Senegal’s academic calendar, sometimes causing overlaps between academic sessions and leaving students waiting months for their stipends.
