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About 350 French troopers are leaving Senegal, marking the top of a departure course of that started in March.
France has formally handed over its two remaining army bases in Senegal, leaving the onetime colonial energy with no everlasting presence in both West or Central Africa.
France returned Camp Geille, its largest base in Senegal, and its airfield at Dakar’s airport in a ceremony on Thursday attended by prime French and Senegalese officers, together with Senegalese Chief of the Common Workers Mbaye Cisse and Common Pascal Ianni, the pinnacle of the French forces in Africa.
The pullout ends the French military’s 65-year presence in Senegal and comes after comparable withdrawals throughout the continent as former colonies more and more flip their backs on the nation that after dominated them.
France’s withdrawal from Senegal additionally comes because the Sahel area faces a rising battle. The violence throughout Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger is threatening Gulf of Guinea nations to the south.
About 350 French troopers, who had primarily been tasked with conducting joint operations with the Senegalese military, are actually leaving the nation, marking the top of a departure course of that started in March.
Common Cisse stated the handover marked “an vital turning level within the wealthy and lengthy army journey of our two international locations”.
France is “reinventing partnerships in a dynamic Africa”, Ianni stated. “We’re turning a web page within the army historical past of our two international locations, … a really particular relationship and one important for the international locations of the area.”
After storming to victory in elections final yr by promising dramatic change, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw its soldiers by 2025.
Nonetheless, in contrast to the leaders of different former French colonies comparable to Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, that are run by army governments, Faye has insisted that Senegal will preserve working with Paris.
After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal turned considered one of France’s staunchest African allies, enjoying host to French troops all through its historical past.
Faye has additionally urged France to apologise for colonial atrocities, together with the massacre on December 1, 1944, of dozens of African troops who had fought for France in World Warfare II.
With governments throughout Africa more and more questioning France’s army presence, Paris has closed or decreased the numbers of its troopers at bases throughout its former empire.
In February, France handed again its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast, ending decades of French presence there.
The month earlier than, France turned over the Kossei base in Chad, its final army foothold within the Sahel area.
Coups in Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali from 2020 to 2023 have swept army strongmen to energy. Their governments have collectively ejected 4,300 French troopers. All three international locations have minimize ties with France and turned to Russia as an alternative for assist in combating the Sahel’s decade-long unrest.
The Central African Republic, additionally a former French colony to which the Kremlin has despatched mercenaries, has likewise demanded a French pullout.
In the meantime, the French military has turned its base in Gabon right into a camp shared with its Central African host.
Solely the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti will probably be house to a everlasting French military base after Thursday’s withdrawal. France intends to make that base with about 1,500 individuals its army headquarters for Africa.
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