France officially ended its military presence in Senegal on Thursday, handing over its final two bases to Senegalese forces after 65 years of continuous operation.
The symbolic transfer took place during a ceremony in Dakar, presided over by Senegal’s Chief of Army Staff, General Mbaye Cissé, and the head of French forces in Africa, General Pascal Ianni.
“This marks an important turning point in the rich and long military history between our two countries,” General Cissé said, adding that both armies had “defined new objectives” to reshape their security partnership. He emphasized Senegal’s aim to strengthen strategic autonomy following the withdrawal.
France’s military footprint in Senegal dates back to the country’s independence in 1960. The final base, Camp Geille in Dakar — home to roughly 350 French troops — is the last of several sites transferred to Senegalese command since March 2024.
Senegal Moves to End Foreign Military Presence
The base closure aligns with President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s pledge to remove all foreign military forces from Senegal by 2025. Speaking last December, he declared, “Senegal is an independent and sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases.”
His administration has taken steps to dismantle remnants of French influence amid rising anti-colonial sentiment and public protests. In 2021, mass demonstrations over perceived neocolonialism led to the torching and looting of several French-owned businesses.
Faye timed the base closure to coincide with the 80th anniversary of a dark chapter in French-Senegalese history — the 1944 massacre of West African soldiers by French forces in Thiaroye.
These soldiers, members of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais who fought for France during World War II, were killed after protesting poor treatment and unpaid wages.
French President Emmanuel Macron later acknowledged the atrocity in a letter to Faye, describing it as a “massacre.”
France’s Diminishing Role in Africa
Senegal’s move is the latest in a series of blows to France’s long-standing military and diplomatic role in West Africa. Between 2020 and 2023, military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger led to the expulsion of thousands of French troops.
Those nations have increasingly aligned with alternative partners, including Russia.
France has also withdrawn forces from the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, and Chad in recent years. Its final African outpost remains in Djibouti, where around 1,500 troops are stationed.
The withdrawal from Senegal underscores a shifting geopolitical landscape in West Africa, where former colonial powers are being pushed out as local governments assert greater control over security and foreign policy.
