Senegal’s Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, Boubacar Camara, announced on Monday in Fatick, central Senegal, the forthcoming lifting of the suspension of student associations at Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD).
It is part of a new effort to strengthen dialogue and ease tensions within the university community.
“We will lift the suspension of all student associations and sit around the table with student representatives,” Mr. Camara said, stressing that the decision aligns with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s commitment to ensuring that students can pursue their studies under “good conditions.”
The suspension of the associations was imposed in February by UCAD’s Academic Council as a precautionary measure and remained in force indefinitely.
The decision followed a period of heightened tensions at the university after the death of medical student Abdoulaye Ba during clashes involving security forces.
According to the minister, lifting the measure should help gradually restore a framework for consultation between university authorities and student representatives. It is also expected to strengthen student participation in campus life and in the governance of higher education institutions.
In this context, Boubacar Camara announced plans for a “social pact” aimed at preventing future crises and establishing dialogue mechanisms capable of addressing disputes before they escalate into conflicts.
The initiative is expected to involve students, faculty members and administrative staff, with the goal of fostering greater understanding of each group’s concerns and developing consensus-based solutions to challenges facing universities.
The minister also emphasised the importance of ensuring effective student representation within university decision-making bodies.
He reaffirmed the need to protect teachers’ trade union freedoms while urging all stakeholders to prioritize consultation and dialogue.
“No strikes, no confrontations. We will prevent conflicts and find solutions,” he said, arguing that the university must remain a space dedicated to knowledge, learning and academic excellence.
The announcement comes as Senegalese authorities seek to improve the social climate within higher education institutions, which have frequently experienced protests related to study conditions, infrastructure, student welfare services and student representation.
The lifting of the suspension could therefore mark a new stage in the revival of dialogue between authorities and student organizations after several months of tensions at UCAD.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the inauguration ceremony for new facilities at the academic campus of the University of Sine Saloum El Hadji Ibrahima Niass (USSEIN) in Fatick.
TE/Sf/lb/as/APA