Students at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) and Gaston-Berger University (UGB) in Senegal have held several protests since late November 2025 over the delayed payment of university scholarships, which students say have been outstanding for nearly 13 months.
Tensions escalated on December 2 after the UCAD Academic Council, meeting by videoconference, authorised the Rector to request police intervention on campus. The decision was taken under articles 4, 5 and 6 of Senegal’s law on university franchises, which restrict external security presence on campuses but allow intervention when safety, property, or academic continuity are at risk.
Following the authorisation, violent clashes broke out between students and police. Reports indicate stone-throwing, barricades and the use of tear gas. At least 16 students were injured, including six who were seriously hurt. Police sources reported that four to eleven officers were also injured. Around ten students were arrested.
Media reports also note the use of electronic slingshots by some students, prompting police leadership to ban firearms on campus to limit escalation.
The government later announced the release of outstanding scholarship payments. The Minister of Higher Education suggested the protests were influenced by factors beyond the delayed payments, arguing that disbursements had been scheduled to begin on December 5.
The Media Foundation for West Africa condemns the violence recorded on the campuses. Student demands should be heard without recourse to force, and police responses must remain proportionate. We express solidarity with the injured and call on authorities to ensure due process in all arrests. Dialogue between the government, university authorities and student representatives remains essential to safeguard safety on campus and ensure teaching and research activities continue without further disruption.
