(MENAFN) Senegalese Premier Ousmane Sonko has announced that all foreign military personnel stationed in the country must depart by the end of July.

Currently, French troops are the only foreign military presence in Senegal, operating under a defense agreement established in 2012.

As part of a gradual withdrawal process, France officially handed over control of the Rear Admiral Protet naval base in Dakar to Senegalese authorities on May 15.

This transfer followed the earlier return of the Marshall and Saint-Exupéry facilities in March, with additional base handovers planned in the coming phases.

In an interview with a national broadcaster on Monday, Sonko emphasized that his administration, which has been in power for nearly a year, has taken several steps to assert the country’s sovereignty.

"We have notified all countries that have military bases in Senegal that we demand a complete withdrawal. There will be no more foreign military bases on Senegalese territory," he declared.

Sonko further confirmed that the process of foreign military withdrawal is already in motion.

He mentioned that one base had been vacated just two days before the interview and assured that another handover would be finalized by the end of July.

MENAFN21052025000045017167ID1109576867