Senegal students protest scholarship delays amid rising youth discontent

Tensions are escalating at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar after a medical student died during clashes between police and students protesting delayed scholarship payments. Authorities have ordered students to leave campus, leaving many uncertain about what comes next.

“It was the head of COUD, the Dakar University Social Services Centre, who ordered the closure of the social campus starting at noon. That is why students were forced to take all their belongings and return to where they live,” said Moussa Biaye, a biology and chemistry student.

Students are demanding full payment of backlogged scholarships, accusing the government of attempting to permanently halt arrears. “Recently, our comrade Mr. Ba passed away yesterday. This is not normal at all. We will continue to fight until our arrears and the full payment of the scholarships are made,” said Omzi Diaw, an English studies student.

Other students said government proposals to pay only the principal amount without back payments were unacceptable. “They spoke of reforms, but in my view it is a removal. They said they would only pay the main amount without paying the arrears, with explanations that were not clear. That is why many students rejected this proposal,” said Ousmane Sow, an economics student.

The unrest comes amid wider youth dissatisfaction in Senegal, where three-quarters of the population is under 35. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s 2024 election raised hopes for change, but a year and a half into his term, and with a major debt scandal unfolding, many young people are questioning whether promises of reform have been delivered.

As students continue their protests, the government faces mounting pressure to address both scholarship arrears and broader concerns about youth opportunities in the country.