Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday assured lawmakers in Dakar that security would be reinforced at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), following violent protests that resulted in the death of a student on Feb. 9.
The unrest stemmed from clashes between students and security forces over delayed scholarship payments and deteriorating study conditions. The violence, which spread across the campus and nearby roads in the capital, led to the closure of UCAD’s student housing facilities on Feb. 10.
Addressing Parliament, Sonko said he had directed the interior minister to assess the feasibility of establishing a police station on the university’s residential campus. He described the campus as “a neighbourhood like any other” that requires structured security oversight.
Beyond immediate security measures, the Prime Minister signalled broader reforms. He indicated that the government would explore relocating the university, or decentralising part of its operations, citing overcrowding concerns on a campus designed to host fewer than the more than 25,000 students currently enrolled.
Sonko also pledged structural improvements to enhance learning conditions, including subsidised student meals and the prompt payment of scholarships, as part of efforts to restore calm and confidence within the academic community.