FRANCE ENDS 65-YEAR MILITARY PRESENCE IN SENEGAL

By Ollus Ndomu

France has formally handed over its final military installations in Senegal, drawing a historic curtain on 65 years of military presence in the West African nation. The symbolic transfer of Camp Geille, France’s largest base in Senegal along with a strategic airfield at Dakar’s international airport, marks a significant turning point in Franco-African relations.

The handover ceremony, attended by senior French and Senegalese military and government officials, took place this week in Dakar. It follows a withdrawal plan initiated in March, amid rising regional sentiment in favor of greater sovereignty and less reliance on former colonial powers.

French Defense Attaché Col. Christophe Michel called the moment “a respectful conclusion to a long chapter of cooperation,” adding that the two nations will continue to work together on defense through new frameworks.

About 350 French troops who were stationed at the bases and participated in joint training and operations with the Senegalese army are expected to leave the country within the next three months, according to defense sources.

The withdrawal from Senegal fits into a wider recalibration of France’s military posture across West Africa. In recent years, growing anti-French sentiment in the Sahel, coupled with geopolitical shifts and calls for greater African autonomy, has forced Paris to reduce or fully withdraw forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s government has welcomed the transition as an opportunity to assert greater control over national security infrastructure. Senegalese Defense Minister Oumar Youm said the return of the bases “reflects our confidence in the capacity of our national defense forces and our vision for a more self-reliant future.”

France first established military infrastructure in Senegal during its colonial rule, which officially ended in 1960. Since then, its bases have served as regional hubs for military logistics, counter-terrorism operations, and joint training exercises.

The handover marks the end of an era and the beginning of what both nations describe as a new chapter based on mutual respect, partnership, and sovereignty.

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