Following the reopening of the educational campus, Cheikh Anta Diop University’s social campus (Coud) is once again welcoming students after nine months of closure due to the June 2023 riots in the Senegalese capital. This reopening is warmly welcomed by learners. However, not all students have returned.
In Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye will be sworn in tomorrow, Tuesday, April 2, 2024. The new president brings hope for the Senegalese youth. Just before the first round, the social campus of Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar reopened and is once again hosting students. This site, closed after the June 2023 riots, houses dormitories and cafeterias. Following the presidential election, students hope that the crisis, unrest, and violence have come to an end, and life can slowly return to normal.
Strict Access Measures
“Currently, access to the social campus is not straightforward,” one must comply with strict measures before entering the main gate. Security, led by Mr. Cissé, is vigilant. Dabo, a security agent, explains: “All students can access, provided they obtain what we call the Coud card. The campus operates 24/7. We need to filter, to know what comes in and what goes out.”
Once this step is cleared, students head to Pavilion D, where several of them await in a room on the third floor. Reactions are unanimous. There’s a collective sigh of relief: “We’re relieved that the social campus has reopened because life wasn’t easy during these nine months.”
Many Students Have Yet to Return
However, the closure was lengthy, and not all services have returned to the campus yet, explain Mouhamadou Moustapha Ba, Idrissa Diallo, and Mouhamed Mbaye: “Even Pavilion F still lacks locks. Some accommodations are not yet functional,” says one. “I still haven’t received my room. They tell me there’s an issue with locks, mattresses, sheets, etc.,” another adds. “When I came, I found that we were not ready at all. Throughout this time, they did nothing; they just closed the university.”
Cheikh Anta Diop University’s social campus in Dakar is slowly getting back into its rhythm. But many students have not returned. According to our sources, many of their peers have chosen the path of emigration.