Death After Student - Police Clash in Senegal's Top University, Student Bodies Suspended

A fatal campus confrontation in Senegal has evolved into a broader governance test, demonstrating the gap between political promises and fiscal capacity as the country’s largest university shut down its student bodies following unrest.

Escalation Inside Campus

The crisis centers on Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), which enrolls about 80,000 students. Authorities closed gates and residences after second-year medical student Abdoulaye Ba died on Feb. 9, 2026, amid demonstrations over unpaid stipends averaging 40,000 CFA francs ($73) per month.

The university’s academic council, chaired by Rector Alioune Badara Kandji, later announced it would “suspend, on a precautionary basis and until further notice, the student associations,” while continuing teaching and establishing support units and an ad hoc representation committee.

Videos verified by AFP showed riot police entering buildings and firing tear gas. Another clip showed officers beating a man with batons.

One student said Ba was beaten in his room, though authorities have not confirmed circumstances.

The government acknowledged “police brutality,” while Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cissé said “serious events” led to the death and promised an inquiry.

Rights groups, including Amnesty International Senegal, condemned the “disproportionate use of force.”

Structural Funding Strain

Stipends are effectively income for many students. Several reported delays of three months to nearly a year.

Academic disruptions have accumulated over years. Strikes and closures have lasted up to 9 months, overlapping academic cycles and delaying payments.

A 2025 audit revealed larger-than-expected public debt, complicating negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

With 75% of Senegal’s population under 35, the dispute carries political weight beyond campus economics.

“Promises vs Reality”

Many protesters previously supported Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko and President Bassirou Diomaye Faye during opposition years. Demonstrations in 2021 over Sonko’s arrest left at least 65 people dead, according to rights groups.

Students now accuse leaders of abandoning reform pledges. One student called stipends “de facto salaries,” while faculty union head David Célestin Faye argued the state must honor its policy: “Students are not a burden, they are an investment that must be supported.”

Containment Over Continuity

Authorities forced residents to leave housing after unrest, scattering students back to rural areas and interrupting classes again. The government also defended police intervention, citing attempted infrastructure damage.

The result is a recurring cycle: closures disrupt the calendar, delays fuel protests, and protests trigger further closures - an administrative containment strategy that prioritizes order but perpetuates instability in the higher-education system.