Keypoints:
- France ends military presence in Senegal
- Withdrawal follows coups and anti-French protests
- Africa shifts toward self-defined security models
FRANCE has officially ended its military presence in Senegal, completing a historic pullout that closes a 60-year chapter of deployments across West and Central Africa. On Thursday, the last remaining French bases in Dakar were handed over to Senegalese authorities—marking not only the end of France’s West African footprint, but also a wider retreat driven by regional coups, shifting alliances, and rising calls for sovereignty.
The withdrawal leaves France with only two remaining outposts on the continent—Djibouti and Gabon—with only the former expected to remain a permanent base.
French President Emmanuel Macron had foreshadowed the shift during a December 2024 visit to Djibouti: ‘Our role in Africa is evolving because the continent is evolving – public opinion is changing, and governments are changing.’
Anti-French sentiment fuelled the exit
From Mali to Niger, a wave of anti-French protests—rooted in colonial legacies and accusations of military ineffectiveness—accelerated the French pullout. Military juntas that seized power in several countries have since rejected longstanding defence pacts and sought alternative security partners.
In Senegal, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye confirmed the withdrawal in late 2024. Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko publicly questioned the logic of maintaining foreign troops in a sovereign state and pushed back against Macron’s suggestion that Africans had ‘forgotten to say thank you’ for France’s counterterrorism efforts.
France’s fading Sahel presence: A timeline
Mali (2021–2022):
France began its retreat after Col. Assimi Goita took power in a coup. By August 2022, Operation Barkhane—France’s flagship Sahel mission—was shut down and all troops withdrew.
Burkina Faso (2023):
After another coup in 2022, French forces were asked to leave amid mass protests. The military agreement was terminated in early 2023, and French special forces departed by February.
Niger (2023):
Once France’s key ally, Niger broke ties following a July 2023 coup. By December, France had pulled out its final contingent, closing a strategic hub used for years in Sahel operations.
Chad (2024–2025):
Calling the defence agreement obsolete, Chad ordered French forces to leave by early 2025. The last troops departed from N’Djamena in January.
Cote d’Ivoire (2024–2025):
President Alassane Ouattara confirmed a ‘concerted withdrawal’ by the end of 2024. French troops formally left the Port Bouet base in February 2025.
Senegal (2024–2025):
The last holdout in West Africa, Senegal agreed to a joint withdrawal process in early 2025. France began transferring bases in March, completing the exit with Thursday’s final handover.
Post-colonial moment, African momentum
France’s military presence in Africa has long symbolised both strategic cooperation and neo-colonial unease. Now, with Senegal’s handover complete, African nations are asserting a new defence direction—one shaped by regional alliances, homegrown strategy, and less reliance on former colonial powers.
The withdrawal also reflects broader geopolitical changes. The rise of alternative security partners such as Russia and Turkey has redefined power dynamics in the Sahel. Meanwhile, the newly formed Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso—has fully exited ECOWAS and is carving a new path.
Though France insists that cooperation will continue on new terms, the symbolism of Thursday’s handover is undeniable: a continent reclaiming its security narrative, and a former empire finally stepping back.
