A public prosecutor in Senegal on Tuesday said a medical student whose death sparked nationwide outrage died after jumping from a university dormitory during unrest, rejecting allegations that police beat him to death. Abdoulaye Ba, a student at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), died on February 9 amid clashes between police and students on the campus in Dakar, following several days of demonstrations over academic and living conditions. Prosecutor Ibrahima Ndoye said Ba “jumped from the fourth floor of Pavilion F and landed on the asphalt” while trying to escape smoke and flames from a fire that broke out in the dormitory during the police intervention. He said this account explains the injuries found in the autopsy.
According to the post-mortem report, Ba suffered severe chest and skull injuries complicated by massive internal bleeding, ruling out a natural cause of death. Ndoye insisted there was no evidence Ba had been beaten, contradicting claims by student groups. UCAD’s student collective has accused police of torturing Ba, a claim the prosecutor again dismissed on Tuesday. Students previously accused authorities of sowing confusion after Ndoye denied torture allegations over the weekend.
The government has described Ba’s death as a “tragedy” and acknowledged instances of police misconduct, while defending the deployment of security forces. Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cisse said police intervened after students attempted to damage university infrastructure, citing video evidence. Videos shared on social media show confrontations on campus, including police firing tear gas into buildings and students throwing stones. One authenticated clip shows officers striking a man, further fueling public anger and calls for accountability.
