Sécurité à l'UCAD : L’ancien recteur Abdou Salam Sall prône la création d’une police universitaire
Invited to the Sunday Jury program, Professor Abdou Salam Sall, former rector of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), revived a long-dormant proposal: the creation of a university police force to ensure lasting security on campus. At a time when the institution is experiencing renewed turmoil marked by strikes, clashes, and, recently, the death of a student, the former rector believes it is time to address the issue of security openly and honestly.
According to Professor Sall, “University crises are nothing new. UCAD has been experiencing them since 1968. But what is worrying today is the rise in violence.” He added that “a university of nearly 100,000 people functions like a city. Every city needs a regulatory system.” The idea of a university police force would not aim to militarize the campus, but to equip the institution with an internal mechanism for preventing, identifying, and addressing acts of violence.
A structured and disciplined system
According to the former rector, the project rested on two pillars: a university security force specifically trained for the academic context and a video surveillance system to identify troublemakers. The objective was not systematic repression, but accountability. "When we can clearly identify the perpetrators of violence, we can bring them before disciplinary boards. That changes everything," he argued.
Professor Sall asserts that this proposal was formally submitted to state authorities but was never implemented. For him, the priority is to protect the university as a space for knowledge, debate, and education. The repeated violence not only damages UCAD's image but also its academic operations and international standing. He emphasizes, however, that the majority of students do not participate in the unrest: "Whenever there are disturbances on Cheikh Anta Diop Avenue, the library remains full."
The university police would therefore target a minority responsible for the disturbances. Beyond simply managing crises, the former rector sees this proposal as a matter of institutional autonomy. For Professor Abdou Salam Sall, the debate deserves to be opened calmly: "It's not about restricting freedoms, but about guaranteeing a climate conducive to study and research."
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