The Senegalese educational community is in shock. Monday, February 9, 2026, will remain, according to the Autonomous Union of Secondary Education in Senegal (SAEMSS), "a day of sadness and intense melancholy," marked by the death of student Abdoulaye Bâ, which occurred following a police intervention on the student campus.

In a statement filled with emotion and resolve, the SAEMSS considers this tragedy "yet another blunder" that adds to the growing list of students who have fallen victim to violence on university campuses under various regimes. For the union, this tragedy should serve as a major "wake-up call" for the authorities, who are urged to review their approach to managing university crises.

At the heart of the ongoing tensions between students and authorities is the issue of scholarship payments. Since the start of the 2025-2026 academic year, this problem has become a major sticking point between the government and student associations, leading to recurring protests.

The SAEMSS (Student Union of Higher Education, Innovation and Research) points out that the Ministry of Higher Education, Innovation and Research unilaterally initiated a reform of scholarship payment procedures without prior consultation with the beneficiaries or their representatives. According to the union, this decision has exacerbated student anger and led to unusually violent clashes with law enforcement.

Having been alerted beforehand, the SAEMSS says it contacted the authorities to urge them to "respect students' achievements" and take into account the social dimension of scholarships, often seen as a vital means of subsistence for thousands of learners. But these appeals have gone unanswered, the organization laments.

The union strongly condemns what it calls "ongoing violations of academic freedom" by the security forces. For the SAEMSS, the university must remain "a temple of knowledge" and not "a space of constant confrontation between students and law enforcement."

He also believes that schools and universities seem to be relegated "to the background" of public priorities, when they should be major areas of change and investment for the authorities.

Given the seriousness of the situation, the SAEMSS has formulated a series of recommendations that it considers essential to restore calm on university campuses:

• the immediate withdrawal of law enforcement from the university area;

• the immediate payment of all scholarship arrears;

• the immediate reopening of the social campus restaurants;

• The opening of an investigation to identify those responsible for the death of Abdoulaye Bâ, accompanied by exemplary sanctions.

In conclusion, SAEMSS offers its "deepest" condolences to the entire national and international educational community and prays for the repose of the soul of the young student, "who passed away in the prime of his life."

"May the earth of Matam rest lightly upon him," concludes the statement signed by the National Secretary General, El Hadji Malick Youm.