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What prompted weeks-long students protests in Senegal?

University students in Senegal have been protesting over unpaid stipend by the government, and the evolution of spoken word poetry – an art form giving a voice to Africa’s youth.

University students in Senegal have been protesting in demand of payment of their stipend from the government. They say the allowance, paid to students mostly from low-income backgrounds, has not been disbursed for months. A week ago, a protest at the country's main Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar left one student dead after a confrontation between the protestors and the police. The push by the learners comes at a time when Senegal is facing a high debt burden.

And we hear from award-winning poet Hafsat Abdullahi on the evolution of spoken word poetry in Africa, and its role in cultural preservation and activism.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Bella Twine and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Herbert Masua
Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

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23 minutes

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