Latest news with #BassirouDiomayeFaye
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Senegal, Saudi Partner Ink New Desalination-Plant Deal After Cost Review
Senegal reached a new agreement with Saudi Arabia's Acwa Power to proceed with a desalination plant after a cost review, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye said. He canceled the contract, which was previously valued at $800 million, in July last year due to concerns over high costs, and announced the new pact in a Facebook post.
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
France ends permanent troop presence in Senegal
DAKAR, July 17 (Reuters) - France handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal on Thursday, marking the end of its armed forces' long presence in the West African country and a milestone in a withdrawal from the wider region. The commander of French forces in Africa, General Pascal Ianni, handed over a key to the military camp in Dakar during a ceremony at which a Senegalese flag was raised while military musicians played the national anthem. "Today's transfer of Camp Geille marks a new stage in the evolution of the partnership between our two armed forces," Ianni told reporters. "It is a response to the Senegalese authorities' wish to no longer have permanent foreign forces present on their territory." Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced last year that France's military bases were incompatible with Senegalese sovereignty and would have to be transferred. The two countries agreed to complete that process by the end of the year and it began in March when France handed over two other facilities, also in Dakar. The process has been more amicable than the departure of French soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military juntas have pushed out French troops and turned to Russia for help fighting jihadist insurgencies. Chad, an important Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the region, abruptly ended its defence cooperation pact with France last year, forcing its troops to withdraw. With a reduced presence in West and Central Africa, France has said it is planning to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance. Ianni said French forces' presence in Senegal dated back more than two centuries, but that a change was needed to reinvent the partnership. General Mbaye Cisse, head of the Senegalese armed forces general staff, said the new agreement would allow Senegal to continue benefiting from training and information exchanges. "We wish all our comrades and their families a safe return to France," he said, adding that he hoped the long history linking the countries would provide a strong base for cooperation. Former colonial ruler France has faced criticism for stationing soldiers in Senegal long after it gained independence in 1960. Senegal has long demanded that Paris properly investigate a massacre in 1944 of African soldiers who fought for France in World War Two.
CNA
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNA
France ends permanent troop presence in Senegal
DAKAR: France handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal on Thursday (Jul 17), marking the end of its armed forces' long presence in the West African country and a milestone in a withdrawal from the wider region. The commander of French forces in Africa, General Pascal Ianni, handed over a key to the military camp in Dakar during a ceremony at which a Senegalese flag was raised while military musicians played the national anthem. "Today's transfer of Camp Geille marks a new stage in the evolution of the partnership between our two armed forces," Ianni told reporters. "It is a response to the Senegalese authorities' wish to no longer have permanent foreign forces present on their territory." Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced last year that France's military bases were incompatible with Senegalese sovereignty and would have to be transferred. The two countries agreed to complete that process by the end of the year and it began in March when France handed over two other facilities, also in Dakar. The process has been more amicable than the departure of French soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military juntas have pushed out French troops and turned to Russia for help fighting jihadist insurgencies. Chad, an important Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the region, abruptly ended its defence cooperation pact with France last year, forcing its troops to withdraw. With a reduced presence in West and Central Africa, France has said it is planning to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance. TRAINING TO CONTINUE Ianni said French forces' presence in Senegal dated back more than two centuries, but that a change was needed to reinvent the partnership. General Mbaye Cisse, head of the Senegalese armed forces general staff, said the new agreement would allow Senegal to continue benefiting from training and information exchanges. "We wish all our comrades and their families a safe return to France," he said, adding that he hoped the long history linking the countries would provide a strong base for cooperation. Former colonial ruler France has faced criticism for stationing soldiers in Senegal long after it gained independence in 1960.
Al Arabiya
6 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
France hands over last military bases in Senegal
France handed back its last two military bases in Senegal on Thursday, leaving the French army with no permanent camps in west and central Africa. Senegal's former colonial ruler 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. 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 2024 elections promising radical change, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw troops from the country by 2025. Unlike the leaders of other former French colonies such as junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Faye has insisted that Senegal will continue working with Paris.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
French army leaves Senegal ending military presence in west Africa
France on Thursday formally handed back its last two military bases in Senegal, leaving Paris with no permanent camps in either west or central 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 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, 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. Faye's predecessor, Macky Sall, continued that tradition. 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," Faye said at the end of 2024, while maintaining that "France remains an important partner for Senegal". 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 withdrawal. France intends to make its base in Djibouti, with some 1,500 people, its military headquarters for Africa. lp/ach/djt
