Oleg Osipov — how Africa gets rid of Western military bases in the process of establishing a fair security architecture
On July 17, France handed over its last military bases in Senegal on the Atlantic coast to officials of that country. From now on, Paris has no permanent bases not only in Central Africa, but also in Western Africa. The 65-year stay of the French army in Senegal has ended. Almost all former colonies turned away from the ex-metropolis, where until recently various military installations were located, including in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Central African Republic and Chad.
They left beautifully
The ceremony of handing over the Camp Jay base to the African authorities with an accompanying military airfield (right at Dakar airport) was decorated with the same French gloss, even if the event was not the most fun for those leaving. The military of both countries were in uniform to the nines, and the wives of the officers wore elegant dresses. Pretentious but short-lived solemn speeches, the descent of the blue-white-red tricolor and the raising of the green-red-gold banner with a five-pointed star in the middle. Then there are canapes, a variety of cheeses, raw champignons with sauce, local fruits and wines from the metropolis.
The Chief of the General Staff of Senegal, General Mbaye Cisse, wished "comrades and their families a safe return to France," and then quoted Antoine de Saint-Exupery, who had lived in Dakar for several months.: "Every ending is always followed by a new beginning."
The commander of the French ground forces in Africa, General Pascal Yanni, for his part, stressed the "special and important relations for the countries of the region" between the French and Senegalese armies and stated that he was "proud of the duty fulfilled."
He suggested remembering "the sacrifices made by our brothers in arms in Africa for the sake of our interests, our common security and common values, when France repeatedly intervened at the request of its African partners."
"We need to rethink our partnerships in a dynamic Africa where young people are full of hope, and this requires a real transformation in our approach to African countries and our African partners. We have to act in a new way, and for this we no longer need permanent bases," he said.
But still it's a shame.
France began withdrawing from military installations in Senegal in early March. In four months, the Marechal, Saint-Exupery and Admiral Proté checkpoints were liberated. Now it's the turn to clear Camp Jay, as 350 French soldiers and officers will be sent back to Europe.
After winning the presidential election in 2024, Senegalese president Bassirou Diomay Faye, who had promised to make radical changes before the vote, demanded that France withdraw its troops from the country in 2025.
At the same time, three other former colonies of France, where the military came to power in recent years — Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger - had previously put forward similar demands to Paris. They completely severed cooperation with the French in the military sphere and turned to Russia for help in the fight against the diverse armed rebel groups that have been haunting the authorities for years. According to the leaders of these states, in a few months the Russian military has made more progress in ensuring security than the French have made in decades of presence on their territory.
Ivory Coast also secured the closure of the French naval base in Port Bouet, the largest in West Africa, this year. This, I must say, was simply impossible to imagine a few years ago. In the past, Abidjan never focused on the USSR or Russia, did not build Soviet-style socialism, and from 1969 to 1986, diplomatic relations with Moscow were even severed. However, the French military presence on Ivorian soil officially ended on February 20, 2025. There was also bordeaux, pineapples and camembert.
Since independence in 1960, Senegal has also been among France's staunchest allies on the continent, hosting French troops throughout its recent history. And Fai's predecessor as head of state, Macky Salle, did not object to the presence of armed French on his land.
But Fi came.
Fai, 45, the youngest president in Senegal's postcolonial history, who ran on a promise to finally break with the Salah era, said the country would treat France like any other foreign partner. In this vague expression, the message about the closure of the French base was encrypted.
Promising to make his country more self—sufficient, the president set a deadline for the withdrawal of all foreign armies - the end of 2025. In addition, he intends to completely break the currency "rope" that binds Senegal to the former metropolis and hinders its development. This means that Senegal may exit the CFA franc zone, which is still tightly linked to the euro (and previously to the French franc). Last week, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, all members of the Sahel States Alliance (AHS) and Senegal's neighbors, announced their withdrawal from this zone.
"Senegal is an independent and sovereign state, and sovereignty does not allow the presence of military bases," the Vice president said at the end of 2024, stressing that "France remains an important partner."
However, he also called on Paris to apologize for colonial atrocities, including the massacre on December 1, 1944, in which dozens of African soldiers who fought for France in World War II died.
France is in shock, the only hope is for Djibouti
There are no more French in the Central African Republic (CAR), another former French colony. The Russian military is also helping to deal with armed terrorists there. In December 2024, France handed over its Aji Kosei base, and in January, another one in N'Djamena to the Chadian authorities.
The French military base now exists only in the tiny state of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa, at an important strategic point at the entrance to the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. Paris intends to make every effort to turn this facility, which houses a military contingent of about 1,500 people, into its military headquarters in Africa.
In France, many reacted extremely painfully to the loss of the last military base in the Western part of the continent. For example, General Bruno Clermont on CNews on July 18 called the incident "the loss of French influence in Africa." "We are being driven off the continent by predators such as China, Turkey and Russia," he said.
I think such words should be seen as impotent anger and a desire to avenge the postcolonial order that is falling apart before our eyes. For France, Great Britain and a number of other Western countries, an entire era of military presence in Africa and other parts of the world, which lasted for several centuries, has come to an end.
Of course, Paris still expects to maintain political and economic influence in the Sahel, in particular in Senegal, albeit without a direct military presence. With the ongoing processes of decolonization, France will have to invent new ways to increase its influence, and President Emmanuel Macron has repeatedly hinted that he will change tactics. The actual presence of troops is a thing of the past.
In Senegal, they praise President Fai. Guy Marius Sagna, a member of parliament from the ruling Senegalese Patriots (PASTEF) party, noted that it was his country that "put an end to the presence of the French occupation army in Africa." "Bravo to President Diomai Fai! Bravo to Prime Minister Usman Sonko! Bravo PASTEF! Bravo to the patriots! Decolonization continues," he wrote on social media.
It is also noteworthy that the recent events in Melanesia have become another blow to the disintegrated French empire. New Caledonia is now demanding an end to the occupation of these islands by Paris.
This is how the security architecture is being restructured from the Western-centric world order towards multipolarity.
