Clashes between students and security forces at Senegal’s main university intensified on Wednesday as protesters demanded stipends and other financial aid amid the government’s ongoing fiscal challenges.
Authorities at Cheikh Anta Diop University in the heart of the capital requested help from law enforcement to ensure safety as rock-throwing students clashed with security forces, who responded with tear gas.
The unrest comes as the West African nation struggles with a severe financial strain and a debt burden that the International Monetary Fund says is equal to 132% of its gross domestic product.
Pape Demba Niane, a third-year student at the faculty of legal and political sciences, said students were trying to engage in discussions when the police entered the campus.
“We are afraid, Several students are currently injured and the medical service is unable to cope with the influx,” Niane told Reuters.
However, since he took office in April 2024, alongside President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the administration has faced criticism from opposition parties for its handling of growing social and economic challenges.
An audit initiated by the new administration revealed a wider-than-reported debt burden and budget deficit inherited from the previous government.
–Reuters–
