France officially ends its military presence in Senegal after six and a half decades presence in the country
France officially handed over its last military base in Senegal to Senegal on Thursday, ending its army’s presence that dates back more than six decades.
The handover ceremony of Camp Guy, located in the Ouakam district of Dakar, was attended by the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, General Mbaye Cissé, and the Head of the French Army Command in Africa, General Abascal Yani.
The camp includes a joint command center and a regional cooperation unit. Its handover marks the end of the presence of the 350 French troops, whose primary mission was to conduct operational military activities with Senegalese forces.
The French military withdrawal began last March, and dates back to 1960, the year Senegal gained independence from France.
The withdrawal is part of the pledges made by Senegal’s new government, which assumed office in April 2024. In this context, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Afai announced last November that the French military presence would end by 2025.
Prior to Senegal, France withdrew its military from Chad, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic, and is expected to withdraw from Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon.
However, the country will maintain a military presence in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, where its base, which houses approximately 1,500 troops, will be its only permanent military headquarters in Africa.
