Ivory Coast and Senegal to End French Military Presence by January 2025

Jan 1, 2025, 05:25 AM

Ivory Coast and Senegal have announced the withdrawal of French military forces from their countries, marking the end of decades-long military presence by France in West Africa. Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara declared that the Port-Bouët military base in Abidjan will be handed over to the Ivorian armed forces in January 2025 and renamed 'Général Ouattara Thomas d’Aquin.' Similarly, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced during his New Year's address the termination of all foreign military presence in Senegal by 2025. The departure of French troops signifies a shift in the region's relations with its former colonial power amid rising anti-French sentiment.