Sénégal: why May becomes a month of social upheaval

Since 1968, May has been synonymous with social and university unrest in Senegal. It kicks off with International Workers’ Day on May 1st, a day dedicated to labor rights and economic justice. Today, the country faces renewed tensions across multiple sectors: urban transport, road infrastructure, and digital education.

a month steeped in historical and social significance

Is it mere coincidence or an inevitable convergence? The month of May in Senegal has increasingly become a flashpoint for social discontent, marked by intense protests from university students, labor unions, political groups, and civil society. This recurring pattern is no accident. The month begins with May Day, a global call for workers’ rights, fair wages, and social dialogue. Historically, May also evokes Mai 68—the French student and worker uprising that paralyzed the nation and reshaped labor relations across its former colonies, including Senegal.

transport sector paralyzed by labor disputes

In Dakar, urban transport ground to a halt when members of the Association de Financement des Professionnels du Transport Urbain (AFTU) went on strike. The dispute centers on the rollout of electronic ticketing systems. A local court ordered the suspension of new machines and the seizure of existing ones, sparking outrage among transport workers who disrupted services. Meanwhile, the Fondation Trade Point Sénégal held a press conference to denounce what they described as a “critical” internal governance crisis, citing deteriorating labor conditions and questionable hiring practices.

ageroute: internal strife threatens infrastructure progress

The Agence des Travaux et de Gestion des Routes (Ageroute) is embroiled in a bitter dispute after its HR Director, Cheikh Ahmed Tidiane Thiam, publicly criticized the agency’s new leadership for failing to consult staff and undermining human resources. Workers allege that 23 employees were abruptly dismissed, fueling further unrest in an already tense environment.

university students demand unpaid scholarships

Students from the 10th cohort of the Université Numérique Cheikh Hamidou Kane (UN-CHK) took to the streets to protest the partial payment of their scholarships. They reported receiving only two years of funding out of the three-year license program, calling on authorities to rectify the situation urgently.

a nation on edge

From transport workers to university students, civil servants to private sector employees, frustration is boiling over. The convergence of labor strikes, governance crises, and financial grievances paints a picture of a nation under pressure, where May has become a symbolic month of reckoning.