France and Senegal have reached an agreement for the full withdrawal of French troops stationed in Senegal by the end of 2025. The two countries announced on Wednesday February 12 that they are setting up a joint Commission to oversee the departure of French military personnel and the return of military bases to Senegal by the end of the year.
This move reflects Senegal’s growing efforts to distance itself from its colonial past, following a broader trend in West and Central Africa since 2022. In November, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared that French military bases were “incompatible” with the country’s sovereignty, calling for the departure of the 350 French soldiers stationed there. This announcement came just ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre, where French colonial forces killed West African soldiers protesting delayed wages and poor conditions. The massacre remains a painful reminder of Senegal’s colonial history. In response to the historical injustice, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged in a letter to Faye that France had committed a “massacre.”
Senegal’s move to sever ties with its colonial past mirrors broader shifts across the region, as several African countries downgrade their relations with France. In January, France completed its troop withdrawal from Chad, and Ivory Coast has also announced plans for French forces to leave. This comes after military governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expelled over 4,000 French soldiers in 2022, largely due to France’s refusal to support the coups that brought those governments to power.