France has officially begun transferring its military bases to Senegal, marking the first step in ending its military presence in the West African nation, the French embassy announced on Friday.
As part of an agreement reached last month, France and Senegal established a joint commission to oversee the return of military facilities and the withdrawal of 350 French troops by the end of 2025.
The move comes as several West African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have already expelled French forces and sought security partnerships with Russia to combat jihadist insurgencies.
France also started withdrawing its troops from Chad in December after the country terminated its defense agreement with Paris.
“In accordance with the joint commission’s decision, France has handed over the facilities and accommodation at the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry quarters to Senegal,” the French embassy said in a statement, referring to sites in Dakar. Further withdrawals will follow a jointly agreed timeline.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye previously stated that all foreign military presence in Senegal would come to an end, emphasizing that French bases were incompatible with the country’s sovereignty.