France has officially started withdrawing its military presence from Senegal, transferring control of two key facilities to the West African nation as part of its broader regional realignment.
On Friday, the French Embassy in Senegal confirmed the handover of facilities in the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry districts, located near Hann Park. “These districts were ready to be returned since the summer of 2024,” the statement said.
The withdrawal aligns with Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye’s efforts to remove foreign military forces from the country, reflecting a growing trend across West Africa against France’s military presence. In recent years, French troops have also been forced out of Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad due to mounting local opposition.
A joint commission was established last month to oversee the transition, and the French military recently dismissed 162 Senegalese personnel working at bases in Dakar. However, the French Embassy did not disclose the number of troops still stationed in the country.
France has outlined plans to significantly reduce its military footprint in Africa, with Djibouti expected to remain its only permanent base on the continent. Paris has stated that future military cooperation will be limited to defense training and targeted support upon request from individual nations.
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