France to hand over last military bases in Senegal

France will on Thursday formally hand back its last military bases in Senegal, leaving the French army with no permanent camps in West and Central Africa.

Ending the French army's 65 years in Senegal, the pull-out comes after similar withdrawals across the continent, with former colonies increasingly turning their backs on their former ruler.

Around 350 French soldiers, primarily tasked with conducting joint operations with the Senegalese army, will leave the west African nation after a three-month departure process. France started ceding its bases to Senegal in March.

After storming to victory in 2024 elections promising radical change, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw troops from the country by 2025.

Largest base

Unlike the leaders of other former colonies such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, however, Faye has insisted that Senegal will keep working with Paris.

In a ceremony in Dakar, France will return Camp Geille, its largest base in the country, and its airfield at Dakar airport.

Senegal's Chief of General Staff, General Mbaye Cisse, and General Pascal Ianni, who commands France's troops in Africa, will attend.

After gaining independence in 1960, Senegal became one of France's staunchest African allies, playing host to French troops throughout its history.

Clean break

Faye, who ran on a ticket promising a clean break, has said that Senegal would treat France like any other foreign partner.

Pledging to make his country more self-sufficient, the president gave a deadline of the end of 2025 for all foreign armies to withdraw.

"Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country," Faye said at the end of 2024, while maintaining that "France remains an important partner for Senegal".

Faye has also urged Paris to apologise for colonial atrocities, including the massacre on December 1, 1944 of dozens of African troops who had fought for France in World War II.

With governments across Africa increasingly questioning France's military presence, Paris has closed or reduced numbers at bases across its former colonies.

Only Djibouti will be home to a permanent French army base following Thursday's withdrawal. France intends to make its base in Djibouti, with some 1,500 people, its military headquarters for Africa.