Approximately 350 French military personnel are departing Senegal, marking the conclusion of a withdrawal process initiated in March 2025.
France has officially completed the transfer of its last two military installations in Senegal, signaling an end to its enduring presence in West and Central Africa, territories it once colonized.
In a formal handover ceremony held on Thursday, French authorities returned Camp Geille—Senegal’s largest military base—and the airfield at Dakar’s international airport. Esteemed officials, including Senegalese Chief of the General Staff, Mbaye Cisse, and General Pascal Ianni, commander of French forces in Africa, were present.
This withdrawal marks the end of a 65-year military engagement for France in Senegal, which occurs in the context of a broader trend of former colonies distancing themselves from their erstwhile colonial ruler.
The move comes amid escalating conflicts in the Sahel region, with violence in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger posing a potential threat to the stability of Gulf of Guinea nations.
The departing French soldiers, who primarily engaged in collaborative military operations with Senegal’s armed forces, are leaving as part of a broader strategy that began in March.
General Cisse noted that this handover signifies a significant milestone in the historical military relationship between Senegal and France.
General Ianni echoed these sentiments, stating, “We are evolving our partnerships in a dynamic Africa,” and underscoring the unique and critical nature of the relationship between the two nations for the entire region.
Recently elected Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who came to power promising extensive reforms, has called for the complete withdrawal of French troops by 2025. Unlike other former French colonies with military-led governments, Faye has maintained a commitment to continuing relations with Paris.
Since gaining independence in 1960, Senegal has remained one of France’s closest allies in Africa, hosting its military forces through various historical contexts.
Faye has also urged France to acknowledge and apologize for historical colonial atrocities, notably the massacre of African soldiers on December 1, 1944, during World War II.
As skepticism about French military involvement rises across Africa, Paris has scaled back or completely closed military bases in various former colonies. For example, in February 2025, France returned its last base in Ivory Coast, and the preceding month saw the closure of the Kossei base in Chad, its final position in the Sahel.
Recent military coups in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali from 2020 to 2023 have led to the ousting of French troops, with a total of 4,300 soldiers being expelled. These nations have severed ties with France, increasingly looking to Russia for military support amid ongoing unrest.
Similarly, the Central African Republic, another former French colony that has welcomed Russian mercenaries, has also called for the withdrawal of French forces.
Currently, the French military has transformed its base in Gabon into a joint facility with the Central African government. Following this latest withdrawal, Djibouti remains the only nation in the Horn of Africa to host a permanent French military base, which will now serve as the main hub for France’s military operations across the continent.