Senegal and France: A new phase in the withdrawal of military forces

On 12 February, Dakar and Paris announced the creation of a joint commission to organise arrangements for the withdrawal of French military elements from Senegal (EFS) and the handover of their facilities by the end of 2025.

The decision was an important step in the context of growing calls for the assertion of national sovereignty and liberation from neo-colonial influence.

Many Senegalese believe that the process of withdrawal of French troops from the country needs to be accelerated. At a press conference held on 31 January in Dakar, the Front for the Withdrawal of French Military Bases/GASSI called on the government to speed up the process. The conference emphasised the need to overcome the influence of the French military on Senegal's sovereignty. The discussions resulted in a memorandum to be submitted to the President and the Prime Minister of the country.

The withdrawal of French troops from Senegal has already begun: the three military bases in Dakar - Maréchal, Saint-Exupéry and Contre-amiral Protêt - are now under the control of the Senegalese authorities. Nevertheless, some 200 French soldiers and their families are still at the bases at Ouakam and Rufisque, the latter of which remains strategically important to France thanks to a high-frequency transmitting station used for military communications in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Guinea.

The decision to withdraw the French military is part of Dakar's broader strategy to strengthen its independence. This idea was supported by the participants in the 31 January conference. In their view, Françafrique is a complex network of influences and interventions that threaten the continent's sovereignty. Egountchi Behanzin, president of the Black African Defence League (LDNA), a participant in the conference, said: ‘We believe that the French army no longer has anything to do in Senegal. The French army brings nothing to the Senegalese people or to Senegal.’

According to Behanzin, France's military presence brings with it negative consequences such as terrorism and looting, which calls into question the vector of development of relations between Senegal and the former metropolis. «Why are we told that we are independent, that we are sovereign? But the French army has bases in our countries, especially here in Senegal," asks Egountchi Behanzin rhetorically.

The event resulted in the formulation of a memorandum to be handed over to the office of Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The document emphasises the need for decisive action to withdraw foreign troops from the national territory, which, according to the authors of the memorandum, will contribute to the sovereignty of the entire continent.

Quotes from the memorandum reflect heightened sentiments in society: "On behalf of civil society organisations concerned with African unity and sovereignty, we are sending you this memorandum to invite you to take decisive action to withdraw foreign troops from national territory and thus contribute to the affirmation of the sovereignty of the entire continent."

The document emphasised, "The history of Africa is marked by a long period of domination and exploitation of our people: from slavery to colonisation and nowadays neocolonialism disguised under the pseudo independence of our states.One of the most obvious expressions of this neocolonialism is the presence of foreign military bases in Africa."

As African countries strive to strengthen their sovereignty and independence, it is important for the Senegalese authorities to consider the possibility of accelerating the withdrawal of French troops from the country. Not only the internal affairs of Senegal, but also the future vector of development of the entire continent depend on the resolution of this issue.