UGB Strike Continues: Student Union Denounces Lack of Response

Students at the University Gaston Berger (UGB) in Saint-Louis, Senegal, will continue a strike action initiated to protest the Senegalese government’s failure to address their demands, the Coordination des Étudiants de Saint-Louis (CESL) confirmed Saturday.

The CESL, in a statement released this weekend, denounced what it described as a complete lack of response from relevant authorities to its list of grievances. The organization stated that an ultimatum issued previously to compel a response had expired without any favorable outcome.

“Faced with this institutional silence, the student coordination denounces an unheard-of indifference on the part of the officials concerned and reaffirms its course of action: the strike is maintained and all students are called to stay at home until further notice,” the statement read, according to reports from Dakaractu.

The current action follows a 48-hour cessation of pedagogical activities declared on February 24th, 2026, initially focused on demanding full payment of outstanding scholarship funds owed to eligible students, a situation that has reportedly persisted for several months. The CESL also called for the preservation of existing social benefits even as advocating for a jointly-reviewed and inclusive revision of Decree No. 2014-963 concerning study grants.

The CESL has warned it reserves the right to utilize “all its trade union struggle arsenal” to compel authorities to restore student rights, a formulation suggesting a potential escalation of the protest if dialogue remains stalled.

On March 3rd, 2026, the CESL had previously denounced the “unheard-of indifference” of authorities, foreshadowing a possible escalation of the movement, according to ndarinfo.com.

As of Saturday, March 21st, 2026, the university remains affected by the strike, with students maintaining a posture of vigilance and increased mobilization.