On February 9, 2026, a student died during violent clashes between students and law enforcement officers at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar. Abdoulaye Ba, a second-year dental surgery student, lost his life amid protests on the university campus.
UCAD has experienced a period of tension since late 2025. After an initial strike in December over scholarship-related demands, protests resumed in early February 2026. On February 6, the situation deteriorated as confrontations broke out between students and security forces, with reports of stone throwing and the use of tear gas.
Three days later, protests intensified. Law enforcement officers intervened on the campus to disperse demonstrators. During the operation, Abdoulaye Ba was reportedly seriously injured and later transported to the medical centre of the Centre des Œuvres Universitaires de Dakar (COUD), where he died.
Two conflicting accounts have emerged regarding the circumstances of his death. Student representatives claim that Abdoulaye Ba was violently beaten by members of the security forces during the intervention. However, during a press conference on February 17, the public prosecutor stated that the autopsy results indicated the student had fallen from the third floor of a building while attempting to escape from a fire in the building. According to the prosecutor, the body showed no signs of physical violence consistent with a beating.
These conclusions have been disputed by student organisations and the family of the deceased, who argue that the explanations provided so far remain insufficient.
According to reporting by Radio France Internationale (RFI), Senegal’s Minister of the Interior and Public Security, Bamba Cissé, subsequently sanctioned several senior police officials following the violence that occurred at UCAD on February 9.
The incidents, along with the disciplinary measures taken against police officials, have renewed debate over the conduct of law enforcement agencies in managing student demonstrations. They also highlight the importance of ensuring that interventions by security forces comply with the principles of legality, proportionality, and professionalism, particularly in sensitive environments such as university campuses.
Similar concerns had previously been raised following the first wave of protests in December 2025, during which 16 students and four police officers were injured.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) solidarises with the family of Abdoulaye Ba and calls for full transparency in establishing the circumstances surrounding his death. The MFWA also urges the Senegalese authorities to review the methods used to manage protests within educational institutions and in the wider society in order to prevent similar incidents and safeguard the right to safe assembly and safe protests.
