France is asked to withdraw its troops from Côte d’Ivoire

Ivorian president has announced the withdrawal of French troops from the country’s territory in January, becoming the latest African nation to weaken military ties with its former colonial master.

President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire said in his end-of-year speech on Tuesday (31 December) that the French military would hand over control of its Port Bouët base in the capital Abidjan in January 2025, marking the end of a decades-long military presence in the West African nation.

This move comes after French troops have been forced to depart from coup-hit Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger ruled by military-led governments hostile to the ex-colonial master.

The president said Ivorians should be proud of the modernized state of their own armed forces. “In this context, we have decided on the coordinated and organized withdrawal of French forces,” he added.

This move is yet another setback for France that has currently up to 600 soldiers based in the country. French forces have been evicted from a number of West African nations, most recently also from Senegal and Chad, traditionally seen as strong French allies. Chad has been a key ally for Paris in its fight against Islamist militants, serving as its last foothold in the Sahel region. Some countries, most notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, have since sought closer relations with China and Russia. French troops are now only present in Gabon and Djibouti.