French army leaves Senegal ending military presence in West Africa

France connected Thursday (July 17, 2025) formally handed backmost its past 2 subject bases successful Senegal, leaving Paris with nary imperishable camps successful either West oregon Central Africa.

Ending the French army’s 65 years successful Senegal, the pull-out comes aft akin withdrawals crossed the continent, with erstwhile colonies progressively turning their backs connected their erstwhile ruler.

The French withdrawal comes arsenic the Sahel portion faces a increasing jihadist struggle crossed Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that is threatening Gulf of Guinea nations to the south. A caller drawstring of attacks this period successful Mali included an battle connected a municipality connected the borderline with Senegal.

France returned Camp Geille, its largest basal successful the West African country, and its airfield astatine Dakar airport, successful a ceremonial attended by apical French and Senegalese officials, including Senegalese main of unit General Mbaye Cisse and General Pascal Ianni, the caput of the French forces successful Africa.

Around 350 French soldiers, chiefly tasked with conducting associated operations with the Senegalese army, are present leaving, marking the extremity of a three-month departure process that began successful March.

After storming to triumph successful the 2024 elections, promising extremist change, Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France retreat troops from the state by 2025.

Unlike the leaders of different erstwhile colonies, specified arsenic junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, however, Mr. Faye has insisted that Senegal volition support moving with Paris.

‘Sovereignty’

After gaining independency successful 1960, Senegal became 1 of France’s staunchest African allies, playing big to French troops passim its history.

Mr. Faye’s predecessor, Macky Sall, continued that tradition.

Mr. Faye, who ran connected a summons promising a cleanable interruption with the Sall era, has said that Senegal would dainty France similar immoderate different overseas partner.

Pledging to marque his state much self-sufficient, the president gave a deadline of the extremity of 2025 for each overseas armies to withdraw.

“Senegal is an autarkic country, it is simply a sovereign state and sovereignty does not judge the beingness of subject bases successful a sovereign country,” Mr. Faye said astatine the extremity of 2024, portion maintaining that “France remains an important spouse for Senegal”.

Mr. Faye has besides urged Paris to apologise for assemblage atrocities, including the massacre connected December 1, 1944, of dozens of African troops who had fought for France successful World War II.

Continent-wide pull-out

With governments crossed Africa progressively questioning France’s subject presence, Paris has closed oregon reduced numbers astatine bases crossed its erstwhile empire.

In February France handed backmost its sole remaining basal successful Ivory Coast, ending decades of French beingness astatine the site.

The period before, France turned implicit the Kossei basal successful Chad, its past subject foothold successful the unrest-hit Sahel region.

Coups successful Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali betwixt 2020 and 2023 person swept subject strongmen to power. All person chopped ties with France and turned to Russia alternatively for assistance successful warring the Sahel’s decade-long jihadist insurgency.

The Central African Republic, besides a erstwhile French colony to which the Kremlin has sent mercenaries, has likewise demanded a French pull-out.

Meanwhile the service has turned its basal successful Gabon into a campy shared with the cardinal African nation.

Only the tiny Horn of Africa federation of Djibouti volition beryllium location to a imperishable French service basal pursuing Thursday’s (July 17, 2025) withdrawal.

France intends to marque its basal successful Djibouti, with immoderate 1,500 people, its subject office for Africa.