Senegal, France set up commission to oversee withdrawal of French military bases by end of 2025

Senegal and France have decided to establish a joint commission to handle the withdrawal of all French military personnel from the West African nation by the end of 2025. The joint commission is tasked with managing the departure of 350 French troops and the handover of French military bases, a joint statement from the foreign ministries of the two countries announced on Wednesday.

The two nations have expressed interest in developing a new defense partnership that better reflects current strategic priorities, though details remain unclear.

“The two countries wish to establish a renewed defense and security partnership, taking into account the strategic priorities of each side,” said the statement signed by Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his Senegalese counterpart, Yassine Fall. Both parties affirm their intention to continue collaborating on the development of this new cooperation framework.

Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye had announced in November last year that, starting in 2025, the presence of French and foreign military forces on Senegalese soil would end, as this presence is incompatible with national sovereignty.

The withdrawal announcement carries particular historical weight, coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the 1944 massacre of West African Tirailleurs Senegalais by French colonial forces. French President Emmanuel Macron recently acknowledged this tragic event as a “massacre” in a letter to President Faye.

The revision of policies regarding foreign military presence in Senegal, and particularly the French military presence, began in 2010 under President Abdoulaye Wade. Since then, the number of French soldiers has been reduced, from 1,200 to about 350 that currently make up the French Elements in Senegal (EFS).

The departure of French troops from Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger has contributed to a significant change in the perception of the usefulness of the French military presence in Senegal. This trend accelerated in recent months, with Chad announcing in November 2024 the end of its defense and security cooperation with France, and Côte d’Ivoire declaring the “concerted and organized withdrawal” of French troops from its territory.