Amid a campus rattled by violent clashes, the student body in Senegal’s main univrsity is exerting pressure on the authorities with a demand for the immediate withdrawal of anti riot police as a precondition for any resumption of negotiations.
As clashes between students and security forces escalate on the campus of the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), the Collective of Student Associations insisted on its demands in a statement and announced the resumption of negotiations with authorities on Thursday evening.
In its statement, released following a night of tension, the group denounced the “flagrant violation of university franchises” committed during the police intervention on Wednesday, calling the incident “profoundly regrettable” and contrary to commitments made by the authorities in previous meetings.
The student body highlighted that it was received by the President of the National Assembly, El Malick Ndiaye, then by the Minister of Higher Education, Daouda Ngom, during a nocturnal meeting “from midnight to 2:00 a.m.,” before engaging in an online exchange with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko.
According to the statement, “proposals were made concerning Master’s 1 and 2 degrees,” with some partial progress, while “the vast majority” of demands remain on the negotiating table.
However, one point remains non-negotiable: “The primary demand, accepted by the authorities before any continuation of negotiations, remains the definitive withdrawal of all security forces from the university area,” declared the group, which insisted on the respect of earlier commitments made.
True to its principles, the group indicated that it had “retreated to the base” for consultation before the resumption of talks. “The UCAD Student Associations Collective may sometimes be misunderstood, but it remains calm, coherent, and determined in its strategies of struggle,” the document continued, reaffirming “its total commitment to the valiant student community.”
Permanent campus tension
The statement by the group comes as the recent clashes between students and security forces resulted in injuries and significant material damage. On Wednesday, violent clashes erupted again on the campus and its surrounding areas, notably on the West Corniche.
Stone-throwing, tear gas grenades, and electronic slingshots caused massive traffic jams and plunged the sector into chaos.
According to several local media reports, at least four police officers and sixteen students were injured, some seriously, while vehicles and university premises were damaged.
Faced with the gravity of the situation, the UCAD Academic Council, meeting via videoconference under the presidency of the Rector, Prof. Badara Kandji, authorised him to solicit security forces for the protection of people and property. However, the official requisition had not yet been formalised by Tuesday evening. The PATS Inter-Union is also calling for urgent measures to ensure the safety of workers.
Despite the announcement of scholarship payments, students are maintaining their strike, demanding the immediate disbursement of their allowances.
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