France will formally return its last remaining military bases in Senegal on Thursday, marking the end of a 65-year military presence in the country and completing a significant shift in its broader retreat from West and Central Africa.
The withdrawal, which began in March, will see around 350 French troops—previously engaged in joint operations with the Senegalese army—leave the West African nation. The handover includes Camp Geille, France’s largest base in Senegal, as well as its airfield at Dakar’s main airport.
The formal transfer will be marked by a ceremony in Dakar, attended by Senegal’s Chief of General Staff, General Mbaye Cissé, and General Pascal Ianni, who commands French troops in Africa.
This move leaves France without a permanent military base in either West or Central Africa for the first time in decades. The decision comes amid growing calls across the continent for greater sovereignty and reduced foreign military presence, particularly from former French colonies.
‘Senegal is a sovereign country’
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who swept to power in 2024 on a platform of radical reform, had demanded the withdrawal of French forces by the end of 2025. While signaling a shift in tone and policy, he has maintained diplomatic ties with Paris.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye declared at the end of 2024. Nonetheless, he affirmed, “France remains an important partner for Senegal.”
Unlike military-led governments in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—which have severed military cooperation with France and leaned toward Russia—Faye has emphasized continued collaboration with Paris on a more equal footing.
As part of his broader foreign policy vision, Faye has also called on France to acknowledge and apologise for its colonial-era crimes, including the December 1, 1944 massacre of African soldiers who fought for France during World War II.
Part of a broader African disengagement
France’s exit from Senegal is the latest step in a sweeping military downsizing across its former African territories. In February, Paris handed over its last base in Côte d’Ivoire, while in January, it relinquished control of the Kossei base in Chad—its final military post in the volatile Sahel region.
Amid a wave of military coups in the Sahel between 2020 and 2023, new regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have rejected French influence and embraced security cooperation with Russia instead. The Central African Republic has made similar demands, while in Gabon, France has transitioned its military site into a joint base with local forces.
Following the Senegal pullout, France’s only permanent military presence on the continent will be in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa. The Djibouti base, which houses roughly 1,500 personnel, will now serve as France’s primary military headquarters for operations across Africa.
AFP
