Senegal’s Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, declared on Friday that the government would close “all foreign military bases,” a move that is expected to predominantly affect French military forces. The announcement marks a decisive shift in Senegal’s foreign policy, highlighting tensions with its former colonial power, France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country.
Sonko made the statement during a general policy address to the National Assembly, underscoring the government’s intention to remove all foreign troops. While the prime minister did not directly mention French military personnel, the move is widely understood to be focused on France, the only nation with a military base in Senegal. In recent years, several West African nations, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have expelled French forces amid growing anti-colonial sentiments.
“The President of the Republic has decided to close all foreign military bases in the very near future,” Sonko said, without providing a specific timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops. This comes in the wake of statements made by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who had indicated last month that French forces would soon leave Senegal, further fueling the ongoing discourse on military sovereignty in the region.
The French government has yet to respond to Senegal’s announcement. France’s military and Foreign Ministry have remained silent regarding the closure of military bases in Senegal. However, this development follows a broader trend across the African continent, where the French military has faced increasing resistance from local governments. Several former French colonies, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have expelled French troops in recent years, citing the need to assert national sovereignty and reduce foreign military influence.
In addition to the announcement in Senegal, France has also been scaling back its military presence in Africa. On Thursday, the French military confirmed it had handed over its first military base in Chad, marking a shift in the country’s African military strategy. According to French officials, the withdrawal is part of a broader “reconfiguration” of its military presence in the region, which began in 2022. France’s permanent military presence in Chad, the French military stated, no longer met the expectations and interests of both parties.
France has expressed plans to reduce its overall military footprint across Africa, except for its base in Djibouti, and instead focus on providing defense training and targeted military assistance in countries that request it. As of now, around 350 French troops are stationed in Senegal.
Senegal’s new government, which has been in power for less than a year, has adopted a firmer stance on foreign military presence, aligning with the growing regional resistance to the legacy of colonialism. In a broader sense, Senegal’s decision reflects a larger movement across West Africa and the Sahel, where many nations are increasingly questioning the presence of foreign military forces on their soil.
As Senegal moves forward with its plans, the closure of foreign military bases marks a pivotal moment in the country’s ongoing efforts to assert its independence and reshape its foreign relations. The government’s decision, while not providing a definitive timeline, signals a clear intent to push back against what many view as a continued legacy of colonial influence.