By Ngouda Dione and Diadie Ba
DAKAR, Feb 10 (Reuters) - A student died during protests over unpaid financial aid at Senegal’s top university in Dakar, the government said late on Monday, as weeks of unrest over delayed stipends escalated into clashes with security forces.
Unverified videos showed students jumping from upper floors of a burning campus building. The government said the circumstances of the death of Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year dental surgery student at Cheikh Anta Diop University, remain under investigation.
The protests reflect mounting pressure from Senegal’s worsening public finances. The administration that took office in April 2024 is grappling with a $13 billion budget hole, one of Africa’s most severe hidden debt crises, and growing public dissatisfaction as bills go unpaid.
Demonstrations on campus since early December have descended into confrontations between rock-throwing students and security forces. “We pledge to conduct a thorough inquiry to determine any legal responsibility,” the government statement said.
Ba suffered fatal head trauma and severe blood loss, according to Cheikh Atab Sagna, president of the Student Association of the Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry.
He said Ba was not participating in the protests but was assaulted by police who entered student rooms before taking him to a nearby student welfare office. Police in Dakar could not immediately be reached for comment.
A second student leader, Serigne Saliou Fall, confirmed Ba’s fatal injuries and said the police presence on campus exacerbated tensions.
The government’s statement described Ba’s death as a result of injuries sustained during “serious events” on campus but did not give further details.
Cheikh Anta Diop University, one of the largest in the region with nearly 90,000 students as of 2024, announced on Tuesday it would close at noon “until further notice”.
An audit carried out by Senegal’s government last year uncovered a larger-than-reported debt and budget deficit from the previous government. Talks with the IMF over a new financial program remain sluggish amid growing public discontent and a worsening fiscal outlook.
(Reporting by Ngouda Dione and Diadie Ba; Writing by Ayen Deng Bior and Jessica Donati; Editing by Ros Russell)
