Tensions flared at Cheikh Anta Diop University (UCAD) in Dakar on Tuesday as Israel’s ambassador to Senegal, Yuval Waks, was forced to leave the campus following a protest by pro-Palestinian students.
Waks, who was scheduled to speak at a conference on international relations, was met by a crowd of students chanting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and “Israel is a war criminal.” Protesters waved Palestinian flags and booed the ambassador, disrupting the event and blocking him from delivering his address.
Videos circulating online show the scene unfolding, with students surrounding the entrance to the hall and continuing to chant as the ambassador was escorted away by security personnel. Waks left the campus without addressing the audience.
The protest reflects growing outrage over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. Since October 2023, more than 54,000 Palestinians—many of them women and children—have been killed, according to international and human rights organizations. Israel has also faced criticism for maintaining a blockade on Gaza, restricting access to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid since early March.
Yuval Waks, who presented his credentials to Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye earlier this month, also serves as Israel’s non-resident ambassador to several other West African countries including Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Chad.
The protest comes amid mounting international legal pressure on Israel. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Separately, the International Court of Justice is hearing a genocide case related to the conflict.
The incident at UCAD underscores the growing support for the Palestinian cause in African academic and civil society spaces, as well as deepening global divisions over Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip.