Senegal’s Faye calls on France to close army bases in country on colonial massacre anniversary

France has been asked by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to close all its military bases in the West African state because these were “incompatible” with Senegal’s national sovereignty.
Faye made this call in an interview with the AFP on Thursday (28 November), just as Senegal was preparing to mark the 80th anniversary of a notorious colonial slaughter, known as the Thiaroye massacre. Senegal’s president also noted that French president Emmanuel Macron had admitted that his country’s troops were responsible for a “massacre” of Senegalese soldiers in 1944. The former tax inspector, who swept to power at the elections last March promising to achieve Senegal’s independence, now stated: “Sovereignty does not allow for foreign military presence on our soil.”
While hailing Macron’s acknowledgement of French culpability for the Thiaroye massacre, Faye also stressed that having French soldiers stationed in the country was incompatible with national sovereignty. He, however, asserted that the move did not constitute a break with France, like those seen elsewhere across the West African region in recent years. “Today, China is our largest trading partner in terms of investment and trade. Does China have a military presence in Senegal?” Faye asked. “No. Does that mean our relations are cut? No,” he added. According to French government sources who did not wish to be identified, earlier this year, France was already looking to cut its military presence in Africa — from 350 troops to 100 in Senegal and Gabon and to 300 in Chad from 1,000 and 100 in Ivory Coast from 600.