Are we heading towards new disturbances within the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD)? Students were not convinced by the two exchanges held with the Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, and are moving towards a new plan of action.

The university atmosphere remains tense at the Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, where the mediation initiated by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko ultimately did not prevent escalation. This Sunday, December 7, the Collective of UCAD student associations announced the maintenance of their directive, confirming the suspension of educational activities and the implementation of Days without Tickets (JST) in the university restaurants. This decision, made after several days of discussions, marks a setback for the conciliation efforts led by the government, as the intervention of the Prime Minister did not succeed in convincing student representatives to calm the movement.

On Friday evening, the student associations had provided an initial assessment of the negotiations with the authorities. According to them, while several demands were met regarding scholarships, administrative delays, and the support of Master 2 students and repeaters, the most urgent point – the immediate recall of Master 1 students – was categorically refused. The government, through Ousmane Sonko, proposed a staggered payment over the academic year 2026-2027, a solution that the Collective deemed insufficient in the face of the social urgency that led to the recent strikes.

The mediation of Ousmane Sonko, although it clarified some blockages and established a framework for direct exchanges between the two parties, did not lead to the expected compromise. The discussions highlighted persistent dysfunctions, including the absence of some students in the scholarship department’s database, due to registration issues. Despite this conciliatory effort, the students maintained that their essential concerns remained unanswered.