A student lost his life amid demonstrations over unpaid financial support at Senegal’s leading university in Dakar, authorities announced late Monday, as several weeks of unrest over delayed allowances intensified into violent clashes with security personnel.
Video footage captured flames and thick smoke consuming the upper floor of a four-storey campus building, as students attempted to flee through windows, some tumbling to the ground amid the chaos.
Officials stated that the circumstances surrounding the death of Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year dental surgery student at Cheikh Anta Diop University, are still being examined.
The unrest highlights the growing strain on Senegal’s deteriorating public finances.
The administration that assumed power in April 2024 is confronting a $13 billion budget shortfall, regarded as one of the continent’s most serious concealed debt challenges, alongside increasing public frustration as payments remain unsettled.
Campus protests that began in early December have escalated into confrontations between students throwing stones and security forces.
“We pledge to conduct a thorough inquiry to determine any legal responsibility,” the government statement said.
According to Cheikh Atab Sagna, president of the Student Association of the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, Ba sustained severe head injuries and excessive blood loss that proved fatal.
READ ALSO:
Sagna indicated that Ba was not directly involved in the demonstrations but was allegedly beaten by police who entered student dormitories before transporting him to a nearby welfare office.
Another student leader, Serigne Saliou Fall, also confirmed Ba’s fatal injuries. Authorities in Dakar did not respond to requests for comment.
Cheikh Anta Diop University, among West Africa’s largest institutions with nearly 90,000 students in 2024, announced on Tuesday that it would shut down at midday “until further notice”.
Madawass Diagne, a student helping raise funds for classmates who need transport home, expressed disappointment in President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, whom he had supported during the elections.
“We are not in favour of the same injustices we were fighting against,” he said. “It is like (the president) betrayed a whole country.”
A government audit conducted last year revealed that debt and fiscal deficits inherited from the previous administration were greater than initially reported.
Negotiations with the International Monetary Fund over a new financial arrangement have progressed slowly amid rising public dissatisfaction and a deteriorating fiscal situation.
By Joseph Mambili
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
