Senegal Dhaka (AP) – France on Friday handed over control of two military facilities to Senegal and, under its influence in the region, began a formal process to withdraw its military presence from West African countries.
The handover is a statement by Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye late last year that all foreign forces will leave the country.
The French embassy in Senegal said in a statement Friday: “The French side was handed over to the Senegal side of Senegal.
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France formed a joint committee with Senegal last month to organize the withdrawal, and the French army recently announced that it had rejected 162 Senegalese working at a military base in Dakar.
The French embassy did not respond to an email late Friday seeking details on how many service staff in Senegal remain.
Senegal’s new government took a tough stance on the existence of the French army, part of a larger regional rebound on what many consider to be the legacy of the oppressive colonial empire.
France’s opposition to some African leaders, they describe a derogatory and tedious approach to the continent. In recent years, it has suffered setbacks in West Africa, including Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, with French troops no longer on the ground.
France said it plans to significantly reduce the presence of all its bases in Africa, except Djibouti, including 350 French troops in Senegal. It said it could provide defense training or targeted military support based on the needs expressed by these countries.
