Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced on Tuesday December 31, during his New Year’s address, that all foreign military presence in Senegal will end by 2025. This announcement follows a previous declaration on November 28, when Faye informed that France would have to close its military bases in Senegal. He has instructed the Minister of Armed Forces to draft a new defense and security cooperation policy, marking a significant shift in the country’s stance on foreign military involvement.
This decision sets a clear deadline for the departure of foreign military forces from Senegal, a former French colony with longstanding ties to the West, especially France. Faye emphasized that while the country would sever military ties, it would continue to engage with its international partners on equal terms, promoting “open, diversified, and uninhibited cooperation.” His government advocates a break from previous military dependencies, aligning with Faye’s left-wing pan-Africanist values. Faye, who took office in April after being elected on a platform of sovereignty, had earlier criticized the presence of French military bases, asserting that such arrangements were incompatible with Senegal’s national sovereignty.
In his earlier comments, Faye hinted at an overhaul of Senegal’s military cooperation framework, which would end foreign military bases and lead to new developments in defense relations with countries seeking to maintain cooperation with Senegal. This move aligns with broader trends in Africa, as several countries, including Senegal, have reassessed their relationships with France in recent months.
In a related development, President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire confirmed that the French military base in Abidjan will be handed over to Ivorian control in January, marking part of a broader French strategy to reorganize its military presence in Africa. France has been reconfiguring its military operations across the continent after being expelled from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military juntas have taken power and have been hostile to French forces. Senegal and Chad followed suit in late 2023, with both countries announcing the departure of French troops and formalizing a reorganization. On December 26, France returned its first military base in Chad, located in Faya in the desert north of the country.