Tension continues to mount in Dakar after authorities and students offered sharply different explanations regarding the death of a medical student during recent campus unrest. While protesters allege that police brutality led to his demise, the public prosecutor maintains that the student died after falling from a university building while trying to escape a fire.
The deceased, identified as Abdoulaye Ba, lost his life on February 9 amid clashes between students and security forces at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD). His death has unsettled the West African country, sparking protests and intense public debate.
According to the autopsy findings, Ba sustained severe trauma to his head and chest, accompanied by extensive internal bleeding. The medical examiner indicated that the injuries were not consistent with a natural cause of death, suggesting significant physical impact.
Student representatives at UCAD previously accused police of subjecting Ba to violent torture during the intervention. They claimed that security forces were responsible for fatally assaulting him.
However, Dakar’s chief prosecutor, Ibrahima Ndoye, dismissed those allegations during a press briefing. He stated that Ba had not been beaten and instead fell from the fourth floor of Pavilion F. Ndoye explained that the student reportedly jumped from the building and landed on a paved surface, which accounted for the injuries observed during the forensic examination.
The prosecutor further asserted that Ba was attempting to escape a blaze that had erupted inside the dormitory. He said thick smoke and flames were spreading through the building, creating panic and making it difficult for students to breathe. No additional information was provided regarding the origin of the fire, which occurred while police were responding to demonstrations on campus.
Earlier statements from the prosecutor rejecting claims of torture drew criticism from the university’s student association, which accused him of complicating the situation and obscuring the truth.
Meanwhile, the government has characterized the incident as a heartbreaking event and acknowledged instances of improper conduct by law enforcement officers. Interior Minister Mouhamadou Bamba Cisse defended the deployment of security forces, arguing that students had been attempting to vandalize university facilities. He referenced video material as evidence of property destruction.
Videos captured by students and circulated widely online show confrontations between police and protesters. Some recordings depict officers entering university premises and discharging tear gas into campus buildings, while students respond by hurling stones. In one clip verified by AFP, officers appear to strike a man who is heard shouting in distress.
