Senegal intends on shutting down all foreign army bases
(MENAFN) Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko announced on Friday that the country will close all foreign military bases as part of a broader strategy to review its defense policy and reinforce national sovereignty. Sonko made the announcement during a general policy presentation in the National Assembly, outlining the nation’s transformation plans over the next 25 years.
While Sonko did not specify which countries would be affected, France is the only foreign nation with military personnel stationed in Senegal. France, which has faced increasing anti-French sentiment in several of its former African colonies, currently has 350 soldiers in Senegal. This is part of its broader military presence in the Sahel region, though Paris plans to reduce the contingent to 100 troops. France’s operations in the region have been criticized, especially after setbacks in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where former allies have turned to Russia for assistance against militant groups.
In December 2022, France withdrew its troops from the Central African Republic, citing the country’s growing ties with Russia. Senegal’s new president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office less than a year ago, had previously indicated that French military bases were incompatible with Senegal’s sovereignty. The decision to remove foreign bases aligns with broader efforts by countries in the Sahel to assert greater control over their own security matters.
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