Senegalese Presidency: Recovering the bases from France is a firm affirmation of full sovereignty
The Senegalese presidency described the handover of all French military bases in the country as a calm and firm affirmation of full sovereignty over strategic military installations.
The Senegalese presidency added in a news release published on its website on Saturday, regarding President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s visit to the last French military bases handed over to the Senegalese army last Thursday, that the return of these bases heralds a new era of strategic cooperation (between the two countries) focused on training, interoperability, and national capacity building.
The Senegalese presidency explained that the process of restoring these military bases after decades of presence in the country “was the result of a bilateral dialogue based on mutual respect,” noting that Afai’s visit provided an opportunity to assess the state of the infrastructure (housing, logistics, etc.) and evaluate the possibility of future deployment of Senegalese forces.
Earlier, the Senegalese presidency announced that the Senegalese president, accompanied by ministers and military leaders, visited the “Oukam”, “Bel Air”, and “Marines” military sites, which are now under full national sovereignty after being handed over from France.
The Senegalese presidency described this as “a major step in reshaping military cooperation between the two countries”.
France officially handed over its last military base in Senegal to Senegal on Thursday, ending its army’s six-and-a-half-decade presence.
The handed-over camp includes a joint command center and a regional cooperation unit, as 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.
In his remarks on the occasion, the Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Armed Forces, General Mbaye Cissé, considered the end of the French military presence in the country “a significant turning point in the rich and long military history” between the two countries.
For his part, the head of the French Army Command in Africa, General Pascal Ianni, stated that France is in the process of making a structural change to its presence in Africa, and that this requires a different approach, stressing that his country no longer needs permanent bases on the continent.
The French military withdrawal from Senegal began last March, as the presence of French forces in the country dates back to 1960, the year Senegal gained its independence from France.
