France officially ended its permanent military presence in Senegal on Thursday during a formal ceremony in Dakar, handing over its last base, including Camp Djilakh, to Senegalese authorities.
This marks the conclusion of a process initiated in March, part of a broader French military withdrawal from West and Central Africa since 2022, which has included Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Gabon.
The ceremony was attended by Senegal’s Chief of Defense Staff, General Mbaye Cissé, and French General Pascal Yanni, both of whom praised the long-standing military cooperation between their countries.
General Cissé emphasized that the withdrawal was the result of friendly dialogue, paving the way for a “new security partnership” between the two forces.
General Yanni described the move as a “structural transformation” in France’s African strategy, highlighting a shift toward more flexible partnerships without permanent military bases.
French troops had been stationed in Senegal since its independence in 1960 under bilateral defense agreements. Since 2012, their mission had been limited to training and support operations.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had previously stated that national sovereignty was “incompatible with the presence of foreign bases,” while clarifying that the move did not signify a break with France, but rather the beginning of a renewed partnership.
The withdrawal comes amid a general decline in French military influence in Africa, driven by growing local demands for foreign troop departures and a strategic realignment toward emerging partners such as Russia and China.
Notably, France has converted some of its bases, such as in Gabon, into joint training centers.
