France hands back two out of five army bases to Senegal

Two of the five French army bases in Senegal were officially handed over to the local authorities on March 7th, in a furthering of France’s disengagement from its former colonies in Africa.

The military sites of Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry, near the port of Dakar, were officially handed over to Senegalese authorities, reported RFI.

Senegal’s president Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in April 2024, has made clear his intention to reshape his country’s relationships with the outside world, particularly with former colonial ruler France.

Last November, Faye told several French media outlets that “there will soon be no more French soldiers in Senegal”.

These remarks were echoed in the first major policy speech to parliament made by Senegal’s prime minister Ousmane Sonko in December 2024.

The other three French military bases are on track to be closed and handed back, although a timetable is yet to be drawn up.

Little more than 200 soldiers and their families reside at Camp Geille, the biggest of the five bases, located in the city centre of Ouakam. 20 others are situated at the Rufisque base in suburban Dakar.

France has withdrawn its military presence from a number of West African countries in recent years, including Ivory Coast, Chad and Niger.

RFI