The handover of France’s last military base in Senegal will formally mark the end of the former colonial power’s military presence in the West African nation, as Paris and Dakar move towards significantly reshaping their defense cooperation.
Senegal is set to host an official ceremony on Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Dakar, marking the transfer of the last French military base under the command of the French Elements in Senegal (EFS).
The event will symbolise the conclusion of France’s military footprint in the country, APA has learned from official sources.
The ceremony will take place at Camp Gueille in Ouakam, and will be attended by General Mbaye Cissé, Chief of General Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, and General Pascal Ianni, Commander of French Forces in Africa.
According to a statement received by APA on Wednesday, the event will feature a formal military parade and speeches from both senior officers.
The handover of the Ouakam base is part of France’s broader strategy to restructure its military presence in Africa—an initiative first outlined by President Emmanuel Macron in 2022. This shift marks a new chapter in Franco-Senegalese defense relations, now centered on joint training, interoperability, and mutual respect.
French Ambassador to Senegal and The Gambia, Christine Fages, had announced earlier this week, during Bastille Day celebrations, that the final stage of the transition would be completed “within three days,” describing the evolving partnership as “honest, balanced, and deliberate.”
The gradual withdrawal of the EFS has already seen several military sites returned to Senegalese control. On July 1, France handed over the inter-armed transmission station in Rufisque, which had served military communications across the South Atlantic since 1960.
Other installations—including Maréchal, Saint-Exupéry, and the Contre-Amiral Protet compound—had been relinquished to Senegal earlier, beginning in March.
The Rufisque transfer came a day after a bilateral meeting in Seville between President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, during which both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a partnership built on sovereignty and shared national interests.
A high-level intergovernmental seminar is scheduled to take place in Dakar before the end of the year to further define the scope of this renewed military cooperation, in line with the 2012 defense cooperation agreement.
ARD/ac/sf/lb/as/APA