DAKAR, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko on Tuesday pledged before lawmakers in Dakar, the country's capital, to strengthen security at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD), which was recently rocked by violent protests that left a student dead.
The unrest erupted following clashes between security forces and students demanding scholarship payments and improved study conditions. A student was killed on Feb. 9 during clashes between students and security forces, which were reported both on campus and on nearby roads in the capital.
"We will strengthen security at the university. I have instructed the interior minister to conduct a study on the possibility of setting up a police station on the student residential campus, because it is a neighborhood like any other," Sonko said while responding to lawmakers' questions.
He also said the government would consider relocating the university, or part of its activities, to provide better working and learning conditions, noting that it is difficult to accommodate more than 25,000 students on the current campus.
Sonko added that the government would undertake necessary reforms to improve study conditions, including subsidizing student meals and ensuring the timely payment of scholarships.
UCAD's student housing facilities were closed on Feb. 10 following violent incidents on the university grounds. ■