France Ends 65-year Military Presence In Senegal

France on Thursday officially handed over its last two military bases in Senegal, marking the end of a 65-year military presence in the country and leaving Paris without any permanent bases in West or Central Africa.

The withdrawal, which concluded a three-month disengagement process that began in March, saw France return Camp Geille — its largest military installation in Senegal—and an airfield at Dakar International Airport.

A formal ceremony was held to mark the occasion, attended by senior officials from both countries, including Senegal’s Chief of Staff General Mbaye Cissé and General Pascal Ianni, head of French forces in Africa.

Approximately, 350 French troops, previously deployed for joint operations with Senegalese forces, have now departed, completing France’s exit.

The move aligns with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s campaign promise to assert greater national sovereignty.

After winning the 2024 presidential election on a platform of radical change, Faye called for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Senegal by the end of 2025.

“Senegal is an independent and sovereign country. Sovereignty does not accept the presence of foreign military bases,” Faye said in a statement late last year, while noting that “France remains an important partner for Senegal.”

Although his position reflects a growing trend of African nations distancing themselves from former colonial powers, Faye has emphasised continued cooperation with France—unlike the military regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, which severed ties with Paris and aligned more closely with Russia following coups between 2020 and 2023.

France’s military pullout from Senegal follows similar withdrawals across the continent.

In recent months, Paris has relinquished its remaining bases in Côte d’Ivoire and Chad, and scaled down operations elsewhere.

The Central African Republic has also demanded a French withdrawal, while the base in Gabon has been converted into a joint facility.

The only remaining permanent French military presence on the continent is now in Djibouti, where about 1,500 troops are stationed.

The Horn of Africa base is expected to serve as France’s new military headquarters for the continent.

The French withdrawal comes at a time of mounting insecurity in the Sahel region, where jihadist violence continues to escalate across Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and now threatens the more stable Gulf of Guinea nations.

A series of attacks in Mali this month included an assault on a town near the Senegalese border.

Despite the security challenges, Faye has remained committed to his sovereignty agenda and has also urged France to formally apologise for colonial-era atrocities, including the December 1, 1944 massacre of African soldiers who fought for France in World War II.