The French armed forces finished its departure from Senegal on Thursday, marking the end of its permanent military presence in the last West African nation, as Paris’ influence in the region declines.
France has encountered resistance from leaders of several of its former African colonies, who criticized its approach as humiliating and overly aggressive.
The French armed forces transferred Camp Geille, the biggest base they had in Senegal, together with a nearby airfield, to the Senegalese administration in a ceremony held in the capital city of Dakar.
General Pascal Ianni, commander of the French military in Africa, mentioned that the transfer signifies a new era in defense collaborations.
“It is part of France’s choice to terminate permanent military installations in West and Central Africa, and aligns with the Senegalese government’s wish to cease hosting long-term foreign forces on their land,” he stated.
The head of Senegal’s armed forces, General Mbaye Cissé, stated that the withdrawal aligns with the nation’s updated defense plan.
“The main objective is to confirm the independence of the Senegalese military forces while supporting peace in the subregion, across Africa, and worldwide,” Cissé stated.
The event signified the end of a three-month process involving approximately 350 French soldiers leaving the West African nation, which started in March.
France’s armed forces have been stationed in Senegal since the country became independent from France in 1960, as part of military collaboration agreements between both nations.
The departure came after Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye urged all foreign forces to leave the country last year, arguing that Senegal’s sovereignty conflicts with maintaining foreign military installations.
“Senegal is an independent nation, a sovereign state, and sovereignty does not allow for the existence of military bases within a sovereign country,” he stated last year, mentioning that Dakar would instead seek a “new partnership” with Paris.
The newly formed government in Senegal has adopted a strict position opposing the presence of French forces, as part of a broader regional reaction to what is perceived as the impact of a repressive colonial past.
France has revealed intentions to significantly cut its involvement at all of its military installations across Africa, with the exception of the eastern African nation of Djibouti.
It mentioned that it would offer defense training or specific military assistance, depending on the requirements stated by those nations.
France has encountered several challenges in West Africa lately, such as in Chad and the Ivory Coast, where it closed its final military bases earlier this year.
They come after the removal of French forces in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso in recent years, as military governments in these countries have sought assistance from Russia instead.
Approximately 350 French military personnel remain in Gabon, where the armed forces have transformed their base into a shared camp with the central African country.
Ivory Coast continues to accommodate approximately 80 French military personnel who provide guidance and training to the nation’s armed forces, while Djibouti remains the only African country with a lasting French military base, hosting roughly 1,500 troops.