DAKAR, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese authorities on Tuesday opened an investigation into the death of a student following clashes between students and security personnel at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in the capital Dakar, officials said.
Minister of Interior and Public Security Mouhamadou Bamba Cisse told a government press briefing that an inquiry is underway to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the student's death, which occurred on Monday at the university's student housing facilities.
"I understand the indignation and the questions being raised. They may be justified. I want to reassure citizens that an investigation is in progress to establish the circumstances of the death," Cisse said.
Describing the incident as a "true tragedy," he said security forces had been deployed to protect public property after authorities received "precise intelligence" about planned attacks targeting certain university facilities.
He added that violence erupted on the ground involving both students and members of the defense and security forces.
Justice Minister Yassine Fall said the public prosecutor's office had been seized in the early hours of the incident to conduct investigations and determine responsibilities.
"Our campuses must never become spaces of violence. I commit before the Senegalese people to shed full light on this matter," she said.
Minister of Armed Forces Birame Diop called for national unity and urged "frank, sincere, constructive and respectful dialogue" as the only path toward de-escalation.
In the wake of the incident, the Dakar Center for University Services announced the closure of UCAD's student housing facilities starting Tuesday and until further notice.
Official sources said several students were arrested and others injured during the clashes.
Students at UCAD have been protesting over grievances including the closure of university restaurants and proposed reforms to scholarship allocations. ■
