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2w ago

Senegal Closes UCAD Housing After Student’s Death as Government Opens Inquiry

The death of second-year student Abdoulaye Ba followed clashes over unpaid stipends, prompting rights groups to demand an independent investigation.

Students at Senegalese universities have protested over delays in grant payments
A student transports his belongings on a motorcycle taxi as he leaves the Cheikh Anta Diop University, which is being evacuated following the death of second year student Abdoulaye Ba, in Dakar Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
A student transports his belongings on a motorcycle taxi as he leaves the Cheikh Anta Diop University, which is being evacuated following the death of second year student Abdoulaye Ba, in Dakar Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)
Students carry their belongings as they leave the Cheikh Anta Diop University, which is being evacuated following the death of second year student Abdoulaye Ba, in Dakar Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui)

Overview

  • Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cissé called the death a tragedy, acknowledged violence by security forces and announced an investigation.
  • Authorities shut UCAD student residences and dining halls until further notice, displacing many students from outside Dakar, while classes officially remain in session.
  • Student groups said 105 students were detained in Dakar, and rights organizations including Amnesty International urged an independent, impartial probe and the release of detainees.
  • Videos showed security forces on campus firing tear gas and a residential building ablaze as students escaped through windows.
  • A UCAD medical student association alleged Ba was assaulted by police in his dorm, a claim not independently verified, as protests over unpaid stipends dating to December continued.