In Senegal, students at the University of Ziguinchor in the south of the country and Saint-Louis in the north will return to university this week after four months of campus closures. A closure following riots and opposition demonstrations which were particularly strong in the university environment in June 2023. But, in Dakar, the campus of Cheikh-Anta-Diop University still displays closed doors while calls for reopenings are increasing.
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With our correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff
“ We want the reopening of UCAD, nothing more ! “, can we read on the Facebook page of the Cheikh-Anta-Diop University of Dakar. Under each publication – or almost – always the same comments: “ We are demanding the opening of Ucad from October ».
In person
Ndoye Ibrahima, 27, a member of the student association collective at Cheikh-Anta-Diop University, confirms that the closure of the university campus has lasted too long: “ Ucad must return to reality to reopen the doors of Cheikh-Anta-Diop University in Dakar. We cannot respond to a political calendar. Politicians have their political activities to carry out, this should not prevent us, students and teachers, from being able to continue our activities on an educational level. »
Because according to the students, it is impossible to carry out exams or practical work remotely; it is therefore the validation of their training that is at stake. Same story with the main university union. In a press release, the Autonomous Union of Higher Education calls for the resumption of face-to-face teaching in all public universities in the country.
Decision Friday?
This is done in Ziguinchor and Saint-Louis. There remain the universities of Thies and Siné Saloum and especially the Dakar campus. There are 93,000 students who study there and between 30,000 and 40,000 people live there. The academic council of Cheikh-Anta-Diop University is due to meet this Friday, October 6 to decide on the reopening – or not – of the capital’s university campuses.
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