France returned its last two military bases to Senegalese forces on Thursday, amid a wave of anti-French sentiment in West Africa.
General Mbaye Cissé and Chief of the French command in Africa, Pascal Ianni, oversaw the official handover ceremony in Dakar, which marks the end of France’s 65-year presence in Senegal.
“This is an important turning point in the rich and long military history between our two countries,” General Cissé said in his speech during the event.
He noted that the French and Senegalese armies had defined new objectives to give new meaning to the security partnership between the two countries.
“The Senegalese armed forces are looking forward to consolidating the many achievements made in the quest for strategic autonomy,” he concluded.
The French army has had a permanent base in Senegal since the country’s independence from France in 1969. Camp Geille, where around 350 French soldiers are stationed, is the last base to return to Senegalese command after several other military installations have been shut down since March last year.
In December, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared that his government would work towards ending foreign military presence on Senegalese soil by 2025.
The announcement followed growing criticisms of neo-colonial influence in Senegal, which culminated in several French-owned businesses being torched and looted during mass demonstrations in 2021.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye said.
Africanews/Kamila