
French army leaves Senegal ending military presence in West Africa
Ending the French army's 65 years in Senegal, the pull-out comes after similar withdrawals across the continent, with former colonies increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler.
The French withdrawal comes as the Sahel region faces a growing jihadist conflict across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that is threatening Gulf of Guinea nations to the south. A recent string of attacks this month in Mali included an assault on a town on the border with Senegal.
France returned Camp Geille, its largest base in the West African country, and its airfield at Dakar airport, in a ceremony attended by top French and Senegalese officials, including Senegalese chief of staff General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head of the French forces in Africa.
Around 350 French soldiers, primarily tasked with conducting joint operations with the Senegalese army, are now leaving, marking the end of a three-month departure process that began in March.
After storming to victory in the 2024 elections, promising radical change, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw troops from the country by 2025.
Unlike the leaders of other former colonies, such as junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, however, Mr. Faye has insisted that Senegal will keep working with Paris.
'Sovereignty'
After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops throughout its history.
Mr. Faye's predecessor, Macky Sall, continued that tradition.
Mr. Faye, who ran on a ticket promising a clean break with the Sall era, has said that Senegal would treat France like any other foreign partner.
Pledging to make his country more self-sufficient, the president gave a deadline of the end of 2025 for all foreign armies to withdraw.
'Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,' Mr. Faye said at the end of 2024, while maintaining that 'France remains an important partner for Senegal'.
Mr. Faye has also urged Paris to apologise for colonial atrocities, including the massacre on December 1, 1944, of dozens of African troops who had fought for France in World War II.
Continent-wide pull-out
With governments across Africa increasingly questioning France's military presence, Paris has closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former empire.
In February France handed back its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast, ending decades of French presence at the site.
The month before, France turned over the Kossei base in Chad, its last military foothold in the unrest-hit Sahel region.
Coups in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali between 2020 and 2023 have swept military strongmen to power. All have cut ties with France and turned to Russia instead for help in fighting the Sahel's decade-long jihadist insurgency.
The Central African Republic, also a former French colony to which the Kremlin has sent mercenaries, has likewise demanded a French pull-out.
Meanwhile the army has turned its base in Gabon into a camp shared with the central African nation.
Only the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will be home to a permanent French army base following Thursday's (July 17, 2025) withdrawal.
France intends to make its base in Djibouti, with some 1,500 people, its military headquarters for Africa.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Exclusive: India works diplomatic hotlines from South Africa to Botswana to bring home next batch of cheetahs
Over the past two years, India has been working its diplomatic channels with Botswana, South Africa and Kenya as it navigates a complex set of negotiations to replenish its African cheetah population. Senior members of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) have said that talks with South Africa, a key source country, have slowed down following the formation of a new political coalition after general elections there last year. At the same time, Botswana has formally committed to sending four cheetahs, and discussions are underway to finalise timelines. In Kenya, negotiations remain broad, centred on long-term collaboration rather than immediate translocation. As many as 20 cheetahs have already been brought to India as part of the country's ambitious translocation plans. Of these, eight were brought from Namibia in 2022 and 12 from South Africa in early 2023. They were all brought to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. In April this year, the Madhya Pradesh government announced that eight new cheetahs would be brought from Botswana and that the first four would arrive by May. That is yet to happen. A senior official from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) said, 'We have sought an engagement to work out the logistics. Our High Commission is coordinating to arrive at dates of mutual convenience. The Union Minister concerned has been working on speeding up negotiations with the other countries.' Records of Cheetah Project Steering Committee meetings show that as early as December 13, 2023, the committee was apprised that 'steps have been taken for bringing further cheetahs from Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and other range countries as well.' However, the NTCA has clarified that as of now, there is 'no arrangement with Sudan or Tanzania'. As for South Africa, with the translocation of 12 cheetahs having already taken place in 2023, experts from the country have been closely associated with India's Cheetah Project. However, the changes in government in the country have led to delays in further discussions to bring more cheetahs to India, officials said. 'In South Africa, there has been a significant change in the government since the last engagement. Hence, the processes are taking time. The new government is going through the nuances and understanding the project,' a senior NTCA official. In 2024, the ruling African National Congress lost its outright majority, which it had enjoyed for over 30 years, and has been in a shaky coalition with the Democratic Alliance that is under threat of collapse over sharp divisions between the two parties. As per the steering committee's meeting records from December 4, 2024, committee adviser S P Yadav said that 'bringing cheetahs from South Africa may take time beyond three months since negotiations are underway'. 'Cheetahs from Kuno National Park need to be translocated to the Gandhisagar Wildlife Sanctuary for fostering housekeeping practices. The fresh lot from South Africa are to be housed in Kuno,' Yadav told the committee. The DIG of the NTCA, Dr Vaibhav C Mathur, had in this meeting apprised the committee that a high-level delegation had visited Kenya 'for sourcing of cheetahs' and that action was underway 'for dialogue with governments of Botswana and South Africa on sourcing of cheetahs'. On February 19 this year, the State Chief Wildlife Warden, Shubharanjan Sen, again suggested to the committee that the cheetahs in Kuno be transported in order to 'bring new cheetahs from South Africa'. Mathur had apprised the committee that there was a 'deadlock with South Africa' and that officials were trying to address it. Mathur also told the committee that an MoU with Kenya would be signed in the first week of March. Unlike with Botswana, discussions with Kenya have remained 'generic and overarching', with the focus more on 'capacity building for their staff, use of technology for protection, and similar collaborative efforts,' an NTCA official said. The chairman of the Cheetah Project Steering Committee, Dr Rajesh Gopal, said, 'We are yet to get a fresh stock. In the last steering committee meeting, the Government of India informed us that discussions are ongoing. Several countries are being explored — we haven't narrowed it down to one yet. There are options on the table.' Madhya Pradesh wildlife officials are also involved in on-ground diplomacy. A senior state forest department officer, who was part of a delegation to South Africa, said, 'We have visited South Africa and held discussions with their team. We will soon issue an update after the NTCA delegation clears some issues… There are new officials and we are getting them up to speed with our preparations in Gandhisagar and our success with the project.' After a number of deaths and several births, the cheetah population in Kuno now stands at 26, including nine adult cheetahs (six females and three males) and 17 cubs born in India. Officials said all the remaining cheetahs, including the two males kept at Gandhisagar, are in good health.


Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Explained: The rift in Western world over Gaza, and its possible impact
With the humanitarian crisis in Gaza growing more alarming, Israel Sunday said it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors. Days before, Israel and the United States had withdrawn from ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, citing the Palestinian group's lack of 'good faith'. The following day, on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would declare its recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations in September, drawing criticism from both the US and Israel. On July 21, 25 countries including Italy, Canada, UK, Japan, France and the EU had asserted that 'the war in Gaza must end now'. In recent days, multiple Western leaders, including Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Canadian PM Mark Carney, and Australian PM Anthony Albanese have strongly criticised Israel's actions in Gaza. These developments represent a global rift — including in the West — when it comes to Israel and Palestine. It is yet to be seen what this will mean on the ground. Israel's war on Gaza Over the past month, Israel's approach to Gaza has turned more decisive. With the US withdrawing from the ceasefire negotiations, Israel appears to have a carte blanche both for its maximalist military objective of eliminating Hamas and its maximalist political objective of a permanent occupation of Gaza. A chorus of Israeli ministers, like Itamar Ben-Gvir, continue to call for Palestinians to 'leave' Gaza. Defence Minister Israel Katz has laid out Israel's immediate plans for the Strip. This includes building a 'humanitarian city' on the ruins of Rafah where 600,000 Palestinians would initially be 'moved' and 'not be allowed to leave, except to go to other countries'. This plan, which will eventually include all of Gaza's population of roughly 2.1 million people, has been described as a potential concentration camp by several experts, including former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert. Israel's latest strategy of allegedly shooting unarmed Palestinians lining up for aid has triggered more pointed criticism from Western capitals outside the US. The July 21 joint statement stated that the 'Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity'. Aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave is currently being routed through the Israeli-American Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). There is growing evidence of starving Palestinians being slaughtered outside GHF centres; the UN reports that more than 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by Israel since the GHF began operations on May 27. This comes even as more than a hundred humanitarian aid organisations have warned that a 'mass famine' is spreading in Gaza. The World Food Program, an arm of the UN, said recently that the hunger crisis in Gaza had reached 'new and astonishing levels of desperation, with a third of the population not eating for multiple days in a row.' Global positions on Palestine The French decision to recognise Palestinian statehood is representative of a growing rift in the global order vis-à-vis Israel and Palestine. * The US and Israel reject any push for a Palestinian state. The alliance of the two stakeholders with the greatest ability to affect changes on the ground has held firm even as global pressures on Israel increase. * Several Western states, such as Canada, UK, and Germany, however, are seemingly breaking from the US-Israel alliance. While they do back Israel's immediate objectives, they also remain committed to potentially implementing the two-state solution. Note, however, that these countries also retain their broader support for Israeli interests. Macron, for instance, called for a demilitarised Palestinian state — which would effectively deny Palestinians full sovereignty. * The Global South and Arab states seek an immediate end to Israel's current war in Gaza and an inclusive, negotiated two-state solution to the original dispute. However, most of these states have markedly limited abilities to actually shape events on the ground, and Arab states remain disinclined to undertake punitive economic or military measures against Israel. Status of two-state solution Broadly, despite the failure of the Oslo Accords of 1995, most states have stood by the two-state solution as the only achievable outcome — even as Israel progressively removes the physical contours of a future Palestinian state and has killed Palestinians at record rates each day since October 2023. A day before ceasefire talks broke down, the Israeli Knesset passed a non-binding resolution calling for Israel to annex the West Bank. Another Knesset resolution a year ago had rejected the possibility of allowing a sovereign Palestinian state. In June, Israel approved 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Most of Israel's West Bank settlements are deemed illegal by the UN and a majority of its member states, including India. That Israeli ministers also look to re-settle Homesh and Sa-Nur in the Northern West Bank, evacuated along with the settlements in Gaza in 2005, is indicative of Israel's concerted push to leverage the war to expand its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories. It is thus notable that France and Saudi Arabia are set to co-chair an international conference on the two-state solution at the UN from July 28. While a ministerial-level conference on the two-state solution was held at the UN in September 2024, Israel's war of attrition, combined with forced mass starvation, has sparked a renewed push to explore methods to advance the solution. However, unlike earlier global pushes for a Palestinian state alongside Israel according to pre-1967 borders, the current international effort arguably occurs with the US and Israel being the least amenable. Even as questions over the reform of the Palestinian Authority (restricted to the West Bank since 2007) can be addressed, the question of Hamas' future remains a dead-end. The upcoming international conference will bolster support for Palestinian statehood (recognised by 147 of the UN's 193 member states) but the degree to which participating states can influence Israeli actions remains unclear. It remains to be seen if the conference propels states to undertake punitive measures of any nature and scale against Israel, failing which Tel Aviv has little incentive to cease hostilities and territorial expansion, especially with continuing US support. Bashir Ali Abbas is a Senior Research Associate at the Council for Strategic and Defense Research, New Delhi


Mint
6 hours ago
- Mint
France Maintains Tough Stand on Israel Despite Pause in Gaza War
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the European Union is having 'tough discussions' with Israel to help speed humanitarian and financial aid to Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza. The Israeli government has made 'first commitments that have not been fulfilled yet,' Barrot said on CBS's Face the Nation on Sunday. 'We expect the Israeli government to stop the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation that has caused a bloodbath in humanitarian help distribution lines in Gaza.' Barrot was referring to the US-backed foundation that Israel set up after sidelining the United Nations relief network in Gaza. The operation has been dogged by allegations, including by the UN, that Palestinian aid seekers have been shot and killed near distribution points — incidents for which the agency and Israel deny responsibility. Tensions rose after President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France would recognize a Palestinian state in September. That triggered a backlash from the US and Israel, which argues its offensive in Gaza is necessary to topple and disarm the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the US and the European Union have designated a terrorist organization. On Sunday, the Israeli army suspended some military operations against Hamas to facilitate the movement of UN relief convoys into Gaza, and restored electricity to a desalination plant for the first time since March. Macron's move complements President Donald Trump's strategy for the region, Barrot said. He argued that recognizing Palestinian statehood will create the conditions for ending hostilities, releasing Israeli hostages and bringing Arab countries to call for the disarmament of Hamas. French and Saudi officials are expected to lead a conference to discuss Palestinian statehood in New York this week, he said. France and the EU expect the Israeli government 'to pay the €2 billion they owe to the Palestinian Authority and to lift the financial blockage that is now preventing the Palestinian Authority to implement its most basic missions,' Barrot said. He also called on Israel to abandon its latest plan to establish additional 3,400 housing units in the West Bank, saying it would split the occupied Palestinian territory in two and prevent the emergence of a viable Palestinian state. France would be the first Group of Seven country to recognize Palestine as a state. Other Western countries that recognize Palestine include Spain, Ireland and Norway.