UGB : les étudiants haussent le ton contre la fermeture des restaurants universitaires
Twenty-four hours after the violent clashes between students and law enforcement, tensions remain high at Gaston Berger University (UGB) in Saint-Louis. The Saint-Louis Student Coordination (CESL) is raising its voice and denouncing the temporary closure of university restaurants, while making any resumption of dialogue contingent on concrete responses from the authorities regarding scholarships and student living conditions.
Speaking to the press this Saturday, the CESL (Confederation of Student Unions of Senegal) elaborated at length on what it considers the origins of a deep and persistent university crisis. Its spokesperson, Amadou Ba, accused the authorities of "demonizing student representatives" through statements released to the media, without providing any lasting solutions to the structural problems.
According to him, the current crisis stems from the cancellation of scholarship payments for Master's students, a decision that sparked a wave of protests in almost every university in the country. "Commitments were made to restore the rights of Master's students. Some have been honored, but many remain unfulfilled," he emphasized.
In its list of demands, the CESL highlights several shortcomings. Regarding connectivity, promises had been made by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MESRI), the Prime Minister's Office, and the National Assembly to provide universities with satellite connections. "So far, nothing has materialized," the coordinating body laments.
The housing issue also remains a major point of contention. At UGB, the crisis is described as "acute," particularly with the halt in construction at Village O. The decree granting an advance payment, announced to allow their resumption, has still not been signed, according to the students.
Regarding university dining, the CESL (Student Council of Strasbourg) speaks of "inhumane conditions." The restaurants, deemed to be struggling, only meet a portion of the students' needs, while nearly two-thirds of students don't even eat there. This situation has been exacerbated, according to the student council, by the recent decision to close the restaurants, which is perceived as a direct infringement on students' rights.
Despite this tense situation, the CESL maintains it acted responsibly by suspending its strike call, hoping that the commitments made would be honored. However, according to Amadou Ba, the authorities have instead worsened the situation by canceling scholarship payments and reducing the allowance for second-year undergraduate students admitted through conditional progression from 40,000 to 20,000 CFA francs.
The coordinating body also denounces what it calls a "sham dialogue." A workshop announced for January 15th reportedly only took place after intense pressure from the students. Present at the meeting, the CESL (Confederation of Student Unions of Luxembourg) says it was confronted with proposals deemed unacceptable, notably the principle of non-retroactivity, which would entail the permanent cancellation of scholarship arrears.
"If an authority decides to implement a measure, it must communicate clearly," Amadou Ba insisted, rejecting accusations that the CESL was refusing dialogue.
In this climate of mistrust and anger, UGB students warn: without concrete and rapid responses from the authorities on scholarships, housing, catering and connectivity, tensions could rise further on the Saint-Louis campus.
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