Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD) reopened its student residence this Thursday, two weeks after the violent clashes that claimed the life of Abdoulaye Bâ, a second-year medical student. In its Friday, February 27th edition, Le Soleil describes a tentative return of students, suitcases and bags in hand, to a scene still marked by the scars of the chaos.

On site, the same source continues, staff from the Dakar University Social Services Center (COUD) are working to erase the last traces of the clashes of February 9th. But this return to normalcy does not convince all students. Charles Djilène Coly Sène, a resident of Pavilion F, confided his disappointment to the newspaper: expecting renovated infrastructure, he deplores a certain "haste" on the part of the authorities.

Pavilions B and F sealed by the court

The COUD (University Center for Student Services) clarifies that while 90% of the accommodation capacity is operational, pavilions B and F remain unavailable. Severely damaged, they are still the subject of a judicial investigation into the student's death. When questioned by the national daily newspaper, Ciré Badji Sonko, COUD's communications coordinator, reassured the public: "Once they are made available to the COUD, the necessary repairs will be carried out."

The newspaper's interviewee adds that the restaurant has also reopened, with the exception of the "Self" restaurant, where work continues.

Enhanced security and psychological support

The security measures have been reinforced, although the COUD (University Center for Student Services) specifies that no new coding operation has been launched. A major innovation accompanies this academic year: the creation of a listening and psychological support unit. This service allows traumatized students and staff to consult specialists 24/7, in addition to the permanent medical service.