Students clash with police during protests at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University in Dakar over delayed government bursary payments.
Tensions have flared again at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, as student protests over unpaid government bursaries escalated into fresh clashes with security forces on Friday.
Students at the university say they have not received their study allowances for more than 13 months, a situation they insist has become unbearable. The prolonged delay has fuelled weeks of unrest, with demonstrations first erupting in early December 2025 over what students describe as government neglect of their welfare.
On Friday, the crisis deepened after the Regional Centre for University Services (CROUS) announced the closure of all student canteens after dinner, citing what it described as “acts of sabotage” by students.
The decision followed calls by student groups for “days without tickets” — a protest strategy encouraging students to boycott payment for canteen meals in response to the delayed bursary payments.
Angered by the move, students took to the streets in renewed demonstrations, which quickly spread to other higher institutions across Dakar. Witnesses reported heavy clashes as protesters hurled stones, prompting security forces to respond with tear gas after authorities called in police reinforcements.
The unrest has disrupted academic activities and heightened concerns over campus security, as students continue to press for immediate payment of outstanding financial aid. Despite repeated protests, authorities have yet to announce a clear timeline for resolving the bursary crisis.
Cheikh-Anta-Diop University, Senegal’s largest and most prominent public institution, has remained a focal point of the unrest since early December, underscoring growing frustration among students nationwide over rising living costs and delayed government support.
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