Senegal: The French army ends its permanent presence this Thursday
On Thursday, July 17, 2025, France ends more than six decades of permanent military presence in Senegal. During an official ceremony in Dakar, the facilities of the Geille camp and the military aeronautical stopover will be returned to the Senegalese state.
SUMMARY
A symbolic page is turning this Thursday in Dakar. The Geille camp, the largest French military base in Senegal, and the aeronautical stopover set up at the capital’s airport, are officially handed over to Senegalese authorities. This historic ceremony, presided over by Senegalese General Mbaye Cissé and his French counterpart Pascal Ianni, marks the definitive dissolution of the French Elements in Senegal (EFS), which until now consisted of around 350 French soldiers.
Present since the country’s independence in 1960, France had been using its expertise to “support the construction” of the Senegalese army. From this ancient partnership, only revised cooperation agreements will now remain. Because this restitution is the culmination of a political vision carried by the Senegalese president Bassirou Diomaye Faye, elected in April 2024.
A strong signal of sovereignty
As early as November 2024, the head of state had campaigned on a promise of rupture and clearly announced the end of all foreign military presence on national soil.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accommodate the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” he had stressed. An unambiguous declaration, which has since guided the withdrawal process conducted with method and consultation.
Far from a brutal divorce, the Senegalese and French authorities have chosen the tone of diplomacy. President Faye has always stated that he does not want to break historical ties, preferring to talk about a “renewed partnership” with France. This pragmatic approach follows the dynamics of a West Africa seeking strategic autonomy, after several more tense breaks between Paris and other capital cities in the region.
A regional trend of rejection of French military presence
The French departure from Senegal adds to a series of disengagements initiated since 2022. Whether in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Gabon, France has seen its military presence questioned, often following coups or a growing popular rejection.
In these Sahelian countries in particular, military cooperation has clashed with transitional governments eager to break away from French influence.
The Senegalese case, however, stands out for its serenity. Where departure was rushed elsewhere, the withdrawal here was done smoothly, respecting existing agreements. It should be recalled that since 2012 already, the nature of the military partnership between Dakar and Paris had changed, with the abolition of combat units in favor of a more discreet role in training and advising.
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