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South China Morning Post
18-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
France withdraws from Senegal, ending military presence in West Africa
The French military completed its withdrawal from Senegal on Thursday, the last West African country where it maintained a permanent troop presence, amid waning regional influence in recent years. Advertisement France has faced opposition from leaders of some of its former colonies in Africa over what they described as a demeaning and heavy-handed approach to the continent. The French military handed over Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, along with a nearby air facility, to the Senegalese government during a ceremony in the capital, Dakar. General Pascal Ianni, head of French forces in Africa, said the handover marked a new phase in military ties. French and Senegalese military at the ceremony. Photo: AFP 'It is part of France's decision to end permanent military bases in West and Central Africa, and responds to the Senegalese authorities' desire to no longer host permanent foreign forces on their territory,' he said.
Arab News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
French army leaves Senegal, ending military presence in west Africa
DAKAR: France on Thursday formally handed back its last two military bases in Senegal, leaving Paris with no permanent army camps in either west or central Africa. Ending the French army's 65 years in independent Senegal, the pull-out comes after similar withdrawals across the continent, with former colonies increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler. The move comes as the Sahel region faces a growing jihadist conflict across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that is threatening the wider west African region. 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. They included Senegalese chief of staff General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head of the French forces in Africa. Cisse said the handover marked 'an important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two countries.' He said the 'new objectives' were aimed at 'giving new content to the security partnership.' Senegalese troops were working 'to consolidate the numerous skills gained it its quest for strategic autonomy,' he added. The general ended his speech with a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French author of 'The Little Prince,' who spent several months in Dakar: 'For each ending there is always a new departure.' Ianni said Paris was 'reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa.' 'We have to do things differently, and we don't need permanent bases to do so,' he said. The French general however insisted that the pull-out 'takes nothing away from the sacrifices made yesterday by our brothers-in-arms in Africa for our respective interests.' 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. Reinventing partnerships Senegal was one of France's first colonies in Africa. After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops throughout its modern history. Faye's predecessor, Macky Sall, continued that tradition. However Faye, who ran on a ticket promising a clean break with the Sall era, has said that Senegal will 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. He maintained nonetheless that France remained 'an important partner for Senegal.' Faye has also urged Paris to apologize for colonial atrocities, including the massacre on December 1, 1944, of dozens of African soldiers who had fought for France in World War II. A lawmaker from the president's ruling Pastef party, Guy Marius Sagna, hailed Thursday's 'end to the presence of the French occupying army.' 'Bravo to President Diomaye Faye!... Bravo to the patriots! Decolonization continues,' he told the press. French former empire With governments across Africa increasingly questioning the presence of French soldiers, Paris has closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former empire. In February, Paris 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 focused on training. Only the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will play host to a permanent French army base following Thursday's withdrawal. France intends to make its base in Djibouti, home to some 1,500 people, its military headquarters for Africa.
News24
17-07-2025
- Politics
- News24
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 army camps in either West or Central Africa. The French army's 65-year stay in independent Senegal ended with the pullout, which came after similar withdrawals across the continent. Former colonies increasingly turned their backs on their former rulers. The move comes as the Sahel region faces a growing jihadist conflict across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that is threatening the wider West African region. 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. They included Senegalese chief of staff General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head of the French forces in Africa. Cisse said the handover marked 'an important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two countries'. He said the 'new objectives' were aimed at 'giving new content to the security partnership'. Senegalese troops were working 'to consolidate the numerous skills gained in their quest for strategic autonomy', he added. The general ended his speech with a quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the French author of 'The Little Prince', who spent several months in Dakar: For each ending there is always a new departure. Ianni said Paris was 'reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa'. 'We have to do things differently, and we don't need permanent bases to do so,' he said. The French general, however, insisted that the pullout 'takes nothing away from the sacrifices made yesterday by our brothers-in-arms in Africa for our respective interests'. 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 that 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' Senegal was one of France's first colonies in Africa. After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops throughout its modern history. Faye's predecessor, Macky Sall, continued that tradition. However, Faye, who ran on a ticket promising a clean break with the Sall era, has said that Senegal will 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. Faye said at the end of 2024: 'Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country.' He maintained, nonetheless, that France remained 'an important partner for Senegal'. Faye has also urged Paris to apologise for colonial atrocities, including the massacre on 1 December 1944, of dozens of African soldiers who had fought for France in World War II. Continent-wide pullout With governments across Africa increasingly questioning the presence of French soldiers, Paris has closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former empire. In February, Paris handed back its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast, ending decades of French presence there. 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 pullout. Meanwhile, the army has turned its base in Gabon into a camp shared with the central African nation, focused on training. Only the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will play host to a permanent French army base following Thursday's withdrawal. France intends to make its base in Djibouti, home to some 1 500 people, its military headquarters for Africa.
Al Jazeera
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Former colonial ruler France hands over its last military bases in Senegal
France has officially handed over its two remaining military bases in Senegal, leaving the onetime colonial power with no permanent presence in either West or Central Africa. France returned Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, and its airfield at Dakar's airport in a ceremony on Thursday attended by top French and Senegalese officials, including Senegalese Chief of the General Staff Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head of the French forces in Africa. The pullout ends the French army's 65-year presence in Senegal and comes after similar withdrawals across the continent as former colonies increasingly turn their backs on the nation that once ruled them. France's withdrawal from Senegal also comes as the Sahel region faces a growing conflict. The violence across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger is threatening Gulf of Guinea nations to the south. About 350 French soldiers, who had primarily been tasked with conducting joint operations with the Senegalese army, are now leaving the country, marking the end of a departure process that began in March. General Cisse said the handover marked 'an important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two countries'. France is 'reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa', Ianni said. 'We are turning a page in the military history of our two countries, … a very special relationship and one essential for the countries of the region.' After storming to victory in elections last year by promising dramatic change, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw its soldiers by 2025. However, unlike the leaders of other former French colonies such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which are run by military governments, Faye has insisted that Senegal will keep working with Paris. After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops throughout its history. Faye has also urged France 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. With governments across Africa increasingly questioning France's military presence, Paris has closed or reduced the numbers of its soldiers at bases across its former empire. In February, France handed back its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast, ending decades of French presence there. The month before, France turned over the Kossei base in Chad, its last military foothold in the Sahel region. Coups in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali from 2020 to 2023 have swept military strongmen to power. Their governments have collectively ejected 4,300 French soldiers. All three countries have cut ties with France and turned to Russia instead for help in fighting the Sahel's decade-long unrest. The Central African Republic, also a former French colony to which the Kremlin has sent mercenaries, has likewise demanded a French pullout. Meanwhile, the French army has turned its base in Gabon into a camp shared with its Central African host. Only the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will be home to a permanent French army base after Thursday's withdrawal. France intends to make that base with about 1,500 people its military headquarters for Africa.
Khaleej Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
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. The pull-out, which ends the French army's 65 years in Senegal, mirrors similar withdrawals across the continent, where ex-colonies are increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler. The move 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. They included Senegalese chief of staff General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the head of the French forces in Africa. Cisse said the handover marked "an important turning point in the rich and long military journey of our two countries". He said the "new objectives" were aimed at "giving new content to the security partnership". Senegalese troops were working "to consolidate the numerous skills gained it its quest for strategic autonomy", he added. Ianni said Paris was "reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa". "We are turning a page in the military history of our two countries... a very special relationship and one essential for the countries of the region," he added. 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. 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 will 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. He maintained nonetheless that France remained "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 soldiers who had fought for France in World War II. With governments across Africa increasingly questioning France's military presence, Paris has closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former empire. In February, Paris 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.
