France officially handed over control of the Rufisque joint military transmission station to the Senegalese government on July 1, marking a new milestone in the strategic redefinition of bilateral relations.
The move follows a meeting the previous day between Presidents Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Emmanuel Macron in Seville.
Used since 1960 by the French Elements in Senegal (EFS), the Rufisque station played a vital role in ensuring military communications along the South Atlantic coast.
According to a statement from the French Embassy in Dakar, the transfer follows commitments made during the Franco-Senegalese joint commission on May 16, under the military cooperation treaty signed on April 18, 2012.
The symbolic handover comes amid a broader shift in Franco-Senegalese defense ties. On the sidelines of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), President Faye described his talks with Macron as focused on bilateral cooperation and shared regional and international interests.
President Macron emphasised that the evolving partnership between the two countries must be rooted in “the interests of our peoples and our shared sovereignty.”
Since March, several military installations previously occupied by French forces have been returned to Senegal. These include the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry sites near Hann Park and the Contre-Amiral Protet barracks at the Dakar port, returned in May. The remaining facilities are scheduled to be handed over by the end of July, according to the agreed timeline.
This realignment goes beyond the defense sector. At a Paris meeting in June 2024, both leaders affirmed their intention to build a renewed relationship based on sovereignty and mutual respect.
Economically, France remains Senegal’s second-largest supplier, accounting for 10.2% of imports in April 2025, according to the National Agency for Statistics and Demography (ANSD).
Trade primarily involves rice, refined petroleum products, machinery, and metals.
Meanwhile, Senegalese exports rose by 14.2% over the same period, driven by crude oil, fish, and cement.
The transfer of the Rufisque outpost reinforces the commitment of both nations to develop a rebalanced, forward-looking partnership.
AC/sf/lb/as/APA