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A student has died following violent clashes between police and undergraduates protesting delays in stipend payments at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, according to the Senegalese government.
The unrest began on Monday, as students gathered on campus to demand the release of long-overdue grant payments. Tensions escalated during confrontations with security forces, leading to what officials later described as “serious events” that resulted in the death of a second-year medical student, Abdoulaye Ba.
Government spokeswoman Marie-Rose Khady Fatou Faye confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday, saying only that “serious events” had led to Ba’s death, without disclosing further operational details. She added that the government would ensure the circumstances surrounding the incident are “fully investigated and those responsible held accountable.”
The government also extended its “deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and the entire university community,” acknowledging the emotional toll the incident has had across the academic environment.
Student protests linked to unpaid stipends have intermittently surfaced at several Senegalese universities in recent months. Students argue that delayed grant payments have placed many under severe financial pressure, affecting accommodation, feeding, and access to essential study materials. These recurring tensions have increasingly strained relations among student bodies, university authorities, and state institutions responsible for funding support programmes.
Faye called on all parties to “exercise restraint,” underscoring the government’s appeal for de-escalation as investigations proceed.
