The French army leaves Senegal, ending its permanent presence in West and Central Africa

This French withdrawal, which began in recent years, comes as the Sahel region is facing increasing and very deadly jihadist attacks in Mali (including a recent one that occurred very close to the Senegalese border), Burkina Faso and Niger.

The handover ceremony took place Thursday morning in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, which has hosted French troops since its independence in 1960.

A symbolic handover of the keys to Camp Geille, the largest French military installation in Senegal, and to the French military aeronautical stopover at Dakar airport, was organized between the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, General Mbaye Cissé, and General Pascal Ianni, head of the French Army Command for Africa, who had made the trip.

Since 2022, the French army has ended its permanent presence in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Gabon, where the French base has become a Gabonese-French "shared camp" focused on training.

After its independence, Senegal remained one of the most reliable African allies of France, the former dominant colonial power in West Africa. The Colony of Senegal was, at the beginning of the 17th century, one of the first French territorial entities established on the continent.

"A turning point"

But the new leaders in office since April 2024 have promised to treat France from now on as equals to other foreign partners, in the name of regained sovereignty.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who came to power with a radical agenda, announced in November 2024 the end, by 2025, of all French and foreign military presence on national soil.

"Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accommodate the presence of military bases in a sovereign country," Mr. Faye declared at the time.

He assured that it was not an act of "rupture" and defended a "renewed partnership" with the former colonial power.

For the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, this ceremony on Thursday marks "an important turning point in the rich and long military history between our two countries."

"Rich in their heritage and faithful to their principles, the Senegalese armies are committed to working towards the effective establishment of an efficient, balanced partnership, based on mutual respect and the sovereignty of each party," he noted.

He expressed his hope for "strong and vibrant cooperation between the two armies, in the service of stability, peace and development in our respective countries."

General Cissé concluded his speech by wishing "a safe return to France to all our comrades and their families," before quoting Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who lived in Dakar for several months: "for every end there is always a new beginning."

For his part, General Pascal Ianni highlighted "the very special and essential relationship for the countries of the region" between the French and Senegalese armies, and said he was "proud of the duty accomplished."

"We are making a structural change in our presence, a change that takes nothing away from the sacrifices made yesterday by our brothers in arms in Africa for our respective interests, our common security and shared values when France intervened on several occasions at the request of its African partners," he recalled.

"Act differently"

"We must reinvent our partnerships in a dynamic Africa whose youth carry great hope, and this requires a real transformation of our approach towards African countries and our African partners. We must act differently, and we no longer need permanent bases for this," he declared.

Since 2022, the French army has ended its permanent presence in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Ivory Coast, and Gabon, where the French base has become a Gabonese-French "shared camp" focused on training.

This Thursday marks the official end of the French Elements in Senegal (EFS), which included around 350 French soldiers whose main mission was to conduct operational military partnership activities with the Senegalese armed forces.

The French withdrawal from Senegal was carried out in consultation, in a landscape on the African continent that was largely defiant, if not hostile, towards the French presence.

Faced with the seizure of power by juntas that had become hostile to the Sahel through coups, the French army deployed in the anti-jihadist fight had to pack its bags, willingly or by force.

It still has a base in Djibouti, which accommodates 1,500 personnel. Paris wants to make it a "projection point" for "missions" in Africa, following the withdrawal of its forces from the Sahel.