La honte d’une nation qui frappe ses étudiants (Par Dr Cheikhabdou Lahad MBACKE)
A nation's shame that strikes its students
To the authorities of the Republic of Senegal,
To the President of the Republic,
To the Government,
To the heads of the security forces,
Yesterday, at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, it wasn't just public order that faltered. It was national conscience that was brutally trampled.
Once again, UCAD, this bastion of knowledge, critical thinking, and the training of Africa's elite, has been transformed into a battlefield. Once again, Senegal's youth, bearers of hope and promise, have been treated as a threat to be suppressed rather than an asset to be protected. And once again, violence has replaced dialogue.
The tragic death of student Abdoulaye Ba, taken from him in extremely serious circumstances, marks a point of no return. No state that calls itself democratic can tolerate forces meant to protect its citizens being accused of brutality that led to the death of a young student. No reason, no justification, no security pretext can excuse the loss of a human life.
This tragedy is not an accident. It is the direct consequence of a prolonged abandonment of the academic world, a persistent disregard for the legitimate demands of students, and a systematically repressive response to deep social problems: precariousness, unpaid scholarships, closed restaurants, undignified living conditions, overcrowding of campuses.
How can we be surprised by the anger of a hungry, humiliated and abandoned youth?
Rather than investing heavily in education, university infrastructure, food services, housing, and scholarships, the state seems to prefer investing in tear gas, batons, and repression. This choice is not only immoral but also profoundly dangerous for the country's social stability.
Senegal cannot continue to sacrifice its youth on the altar of political improvisation and institutional brutality.
We demand:
1. The whole truth about the circumstances of Abdoulaye Ba's death;
2. An investigation
independent, impartial and transparent;
3. Exemplary sanctions against all those responsible, regardless of their rank;
4. A profound reform of university crisis management, prioritizing dialogue over force;
5. Sustainable solutions to the structural problems of higher education.
The blood of a student should never become a statistic. It should be a national wake-up call.
History will judge harshly those who, through their silence, inaction, or arrogance, have allowed violence to take root in the temples of knowledge.
Senegal deserves better.
His youth deserves respect, justice, and a future.
Never again.
Dr. Cheikhabdou Lahad MBACKE
UMBC School of Public Policy
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