France plans to close its permanent military bases in Senegal and other West and Central African countries by summer 2025, the Senegalese Press Agency (APS) reported, citing a French military source.
According to the source, discussions are underway to organize this withdrawal.
“By the summer of 2025, there will be no more permanent French military base in Senegal,” it said, adding that Paris will favor cooperation with the Senegalese authorities according to their needs, without permanent establishment.
This decision is part of a strategic shift aimed at responding to the aspirations for sovereignty expressed by several African countries.
“The French military presence is today perceived as an affront to sovereignty. We are aware of this,” the source acknowledged, noting that these bases fueled negative feelings towards France.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had already announced on January 31 the end of all foreign military presence on Senegalese territory from 2025, advocating a new doctrine of military cooperation.
The 2012 military agreement between France and Senegal, seen by APA, provides for mutual benefits.
French forces have free access to several strategic infrastructures, such as Camp Ouakam and the Senegalese naval base, as well as tax exemptions for equipment and
services necessary for their operations.
They also benefit from freedom of movement and the organization of military exercises.
In return, Senegal benefits from enhanced support, notably through priority access for its military personnel to French schools, technical assistance and the transfer of military equipment.
Senegalese maritime and air stopovers in France are also facilitated.
The agreement can be terminated by written notification with six months’ notice, involving the return of the facilities without compensation, unless specifically agreed.
A global withdrawal of the French system in Africa
This withdrawal is part of a broader reorganization of French forces in Africa, which began in the summer of 2023 with the successive departures from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and more recently Chad.
In Chad, the authorities denounced on November 28, 2024, the military cooperation agreement signed with Paris, deeming it “obsolete” and “without added value.”
In early December, France began repatriating its air fleet and gradually withdrawing from its bases, notably in Faya-Largeau and Abéché.
The Adji Kossey base in N’Djamena, the largest, will be handed back by January 31, 2025, the deadline set by the Chadian government.
President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno described this decision as a “historic turning point,” while insisting on preserving the relations of friendship between the two nations.
Diplomatic tensions
This military withdrawal comes in a tense climate marked by lively exchanges between African and French leaders.
Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko recently disputed the remarks of President
Emmanuel Macron, who claimed that the departure of French bases was the result of prior negotiations.
Sonko rejected these statements, saying that “Senegal’s decision stems from its own will, as a free and sovereign country.”
The Chadian government has also urged France and its partners to respect the aspirations of African peoples for autonomy.
“Instead of attacking Africa, President Macron should focus his efforts on resolving the problems that concern the French people,” concluded a statement from the Chadian authorities.
AC/lb/jn/APA