Dakar, Senegal — France’s final military base in Senegal, Camp Geille, has officially been handed over to Senegalese authorities, bringing an end to over six decades of French military presence in the West African nation.
At a solemn ceremony in Dakar, Senegalese Armed Forces Chief General Mbaye Cissé and French Command Chief for Africa Pascal Ianni jointly presided over the symbolic transfer of command — marking what observers are calling a historic pivot in Franco-Senegalese relations.
“This is an important turning point in the rich and long military history between our two countries,” General Cissé declared, emphasizing a redefinition of the partnership.
Cissé noted that both nations had “defined new objectives” to “give new meaning to the security partnership,” as Senegal pursues its long-term goal of strategic autonomy. He concluded with optimism that Senegal’s armed forces are prepared to build on “many achievements” made under the previous military framework.
The handover of Camp Geille, which hosted about 350 French soldiers, marks the final chapter in France’s physical military footprint in Senegal — a presence that dates back to 1960, when Senegal gained independence. France had retained several strategic installations, many of which have been progressively shut down since early 2024.
This final exit fulfills a promise made by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who in December 2024 vowed to end all foreign military presence on Senegalese soil by 2025.
“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 told AFP at the time.
Tensions between France and Senegal have been mounting for years. Anti-French sentiment reached a peak during mass demonstrations in 2021, where French-owned businesses were looted and set ablaze. Critics accused Paris of maintaining a neo-colonial grip on the region’s economy, politics, and defense.
President Faye made the closure announcement on the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye Massacre, where French colonial forces killed dozens of West African soldiers — the Tirailleurs Sénégalais — for protesting delayed salaries and mistreatment after World War II.
In a notable gesture earlier this year, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged France’s role in what he called a “massacre”, attempting to mend historical wounds with a letter addressed to Faye.
Senegal is the latest domino in a larger regional pattern of France’s military withdrawal from West Africa.
From 2020 to 2023, military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger saw 4,300 French troops expelled as new leaders rejected French influence in favor of emerging powers — notably Russia.
France has since withdrawn from the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, and Chad. Its only remaining base on the continent is in Djibouti, where around 1,500 soldiers are still stationed.
These developments highlight France’s shrinking diplomatic and military influence in a region once central to its global strategy.
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