Suspect in UCAD student murder arrested after five-year flight

A suspect, identified as A. Sarr, has been arrested in connection with the 2021 murder of student Ismaïla Gaoussou Diémé at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar. Sarr was apprehended at the Karang border post while attempting to enter The Gambia.

The incident occurred on March 25, 2021, during a violent confrontation between two student groups, ‘Kékendo’ and ‘Ndéfleng’, near Pavilion E. Diémé sustained fatal machete wounds during the brawl and later died at the Hôpital Principal de Dakar. Witnesses identified Sarr, a member of the ‘Ndéfleng’ group, as the individual wielding a weapon during the fight.

Following the incident, Sarr fled to The Gambia. Although he had previously managed to re-enter Senegal by bypassing border controls, he was intercepted by border police on August 16. During questioning, Sarr admitted to participating in the fight but denied using the weapon that caused the fatal injuries. He was presented to the prosecutor at the Dakar High Court this Friday.