Tensions have flared again at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar, where students have been protesting for weeks over long-delayed government financial aid, triggering clashes with security forces and disruptions across several campuses. Students say their study bursaries have not been paid for 13 months, leaving many struggling to cover food, housing and academic expenses. Demonstrations first intensified in early December 2025, when students marched to demand payment of the overdue allowances.
Security forces responded with tear gas after some protesters threw stones, according to witnesses. The unrest escalated further on Friday when the Regional Centre for University Services (CROUS), which oversees student welfare, announced that all campus canteens would close after dinner, citing what it called “acts of sabotage” by students. The closure followed a protest campaign known as “days without tickets,” during which students refused to pay for subsidized canteen meals, arguing that the prolonged delay in bursary payments left them unable to afford even reduced prices.
The decision sparked fresh demonstrations not only at UCAD but also at other higher education institutions in Dakar. Clashes with police were reported in several parts of the city as authorities moved to contain the unrest. The crisis highlights mounting pressure on Senegal’s higher education system, where student aid is a lifeline for many from low-income families, and delays have repeatedly triggered campus unrest in recent years.
