In Senegal, the postponement of the presidential election has sparked violent protests across the country on Friday, leading to one death and exacerbating the ongoing political crisis. Security forces clashed with demonstrators in Dakar and several other cities, including Saint-Louis, where a second-year geography student, Alpha Yoro Tounkara, was killed.
Tounkara was described as a brilliant student and a beloved member of the university community. Cheikh Ahmadou Bamba Diouf, president of the geography club at Gaston Berger University, where Tounkara was studying, mourned his loss, saying, “His warm presence and contagious enthusiasm will be missed by all those who had the chance to know him.”
The death of Tounkara was confirmed by an employee of the regional hospital, but no official report has been released by the authorities.
In Dakar, police used tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters near Place de la Nation during a demonstration focused on the balance of power between the government, civil society, and the opposition. This widespread mobilization marks the first major protest since the election was initially scheduled for February 25.
The Conference of Student Associations (CAE) in the Thiès region, the only group representing student interests at the Iba Der Thiam University of Thiès (UIDT), has strongly condemned Tounkara’s death and announced a 72-hour halt to all educational activities, starting on Saturday, February 10, at 8:00 a.m. The CAE expressed its condolences to Tounkara’s family and the university community at Gaston Berger University.
