The French army has ended its permanent military presence in West and Central Africa. This happened during a solemn ceremony of historic significance in Dakar, at which the last two French military sites in Senegal were officially handed over, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
The French withdrawal, which began in recent years, comes at a time when the Sahel region is facing increasing, deadly jihadist attacks in Mali (including a recent attack near the Senegalese border), Burkina Faso and Niger.
The handover ceremony took place this morning in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, which has hosted French troops since its independence in 1960.
A symbolic handover of the keys to the largest French military base in Senegal and to the intermediate stop of the French military aviation at Dakar airport took place between the Chief of the General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, General Mbaye Cisse, and General Pascal Yanni, head of the French army's Africa Command, who had arrived for the event.
Since 2022, the French army has ended its permanent presence in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire and Gabon, where the French base has become a "joint Gabonese-French camp" with a focus on training.
Since its independence, Senegal has remained one of France's most reliable allies. The Senegalese colony, founded in the 17th century, is one of the first on the continent. But the new rulers, who came to power in April 2024, have promised to now treat Paris in the same way as other foreign partners.
In November 2024, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaie Faye said that this year he would put an end to all French and foreign military presence on Senegalese territory. However, he assured that it was not a matter of "breaking off relations" and declared himself in favor of "resuming the partnership" with the former colonial power.
The Senegalese Chief of General Staff said that today's ceremony was "a turning point in the long and rich common military history of the two countries". "Rich in its heritage and true to its principles, the Senegalese armed forces are determined to work towards the effective establishment of an effective and balanced partnership based on mutual respect and the sovereignty of each of the parties", he noted.
He wished for "strong and lively cooperation between the two armies in the service of stability, peace and development of our countries" and "safe return to France to all comrades and their families".
In the end, he quoted the French classic Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who lived in Dakar for several months: "for every end there is always a new beginning".
For his part, General Pascal Janny stressed "the special and essential relationship between the French and Senegalese armies for the countries of the region" and declared that he was "proud of the task accomplished", recalling that the French intervention in the region was undertaken at the request of Paris's African partners.
"We must rediscover our partnerships in a dynamic Africa, whose young people offer much hope, and this requires a real change in our approach to African countries and our African partners. We need to act differently, and for that we no longer need permanent bases," he said.
Despite its withdrawal from many countries in the region, France still has a base in Djibouti, with about 1,500 personnel, AFP recalls.