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2mo ago

France Transfers First Two Military Bases to Senegal as Troop Withdrawal Begins

The move marks the start of France's planned exit from Senegal, with all foreign troops set to leave by the end of 2025 under President Faye's sovereignty agenda.

FILE - Members of a French military flight crew talk on the tarmac at France's military air base in Dakar, Senegal, Tuesday, June 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell, File)
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Overview

  • France officially handed over the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry military bases in Dakar to Senegalese authorities on March 7, 2025.
  • The transfer is part of a broader withdrawal of French troops from Senegal, following President Bassirou Diomaye Faye's directive to remove all foreign military forces by the end of 2025.
  • A joint commission between France and Senegal was established in February 2025 to coordinate the withdrawal and revise their bilateral defense partnership.
  • The French military's departure from Senegal reflects a larger trend of reduced French influence in West Africa, with recent troop exits from Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Ivory Coast.
  • Concerns over local employment have arisen, as 162 Senegalese workers at French bases face job losses, prompting France to provide career transition support.