Key points:
- Senegal, France agree to withdraw troops by end of 2025
- 350 French soldiers set to leave, ending decades-long presence
- France’s military footprint in Africa continues to decline
FRANCE and Senegal have agreed to establish a commission to coordinate the withdrawal of French troops from the West African nation by the end of 2025. The decision, announced Wednesday, follows calls from Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to end the presence of foreign forces in his country.
A joint statement confirmed that both nations would work towards a new defence and security partnership, considering the strategic priorities of both parties.
‘There will soon be no more French soldiers in Senegal,’ President Faye told French daily Le Monde in November, stressing the importance of national sovereignty.
Decades-long French military presence to end
French forces have been stationed in Senegal since its independence in 1960, primarily for training and regional security operations. The current deployment consists of 350 troops, who will now leave Senegal as part of this transition.
The demand for withdrawal marks a major shift in Senegal’s foreign policy, with Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko previously questioning the necessity of French troops in a sovereign nation.
France’s declining military influence in Africa
France’s military footprint in Africa has been shrinking in recent years, as several nations expel its forces.
- Chad ended French military presence in May, with President Mahamat Idriss Deby calling it a step toward full sovereignty.
- French troops have also been forced out of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso following coups and rising anti-French sentiment.
- Cote d’Ivoire has announced plans to remove French forces, further reducing Paris’ military influence on the continent.
Despite these withdrawals, French troops remain stationed in Djibouti and Gabon, where governments have not indicated any changes to their military agreements with Paris.
Senegal’s decision to end French military presence aligns with a broader trend of African nations reassessing their security partnerships. With a commission now in place to oversee the withdrawal, France’s role in West Africa’s security landscape continues to evolve.
