In a significant step toward its withdrawal from the wider region, France on Thursday turned over control of its final significant military facility in Senegal, ending its long-standing military presence in the West African nation.
General Pascal Ianni, head of French forces in Africa, handed over a key to the military base in Dakar during a ceremony that included the raising of a Senegalese flag and military musicians playing the national hymn.
Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye announced last year that France’s military bases were incompatible with Senegalese sovereignty and would have to be transferred.
The two countries agreed to complete that process by the end of the year and it began in March when France handed over two other facilities, also in Dakar
The process has been more amicable than the departure of French soldiers from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military juntas have pushed out French troops and turned to Russia for help fighting jihadist insurgencies.
Chad, an important Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants in the region, abruptly ended its defence cooperation pact with France last year, forcing its troops to withdraw.
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With a reduced presence in West and Central Africa, France has said it is planning to focus on training, intelligence sharing and responding to requests from countries for assistance.
Ianni stated that while French military had been present in Senegal for over two centuries, a change was required to recreate the cooperation.
General Mbaye Cisse, commander of the Senegalese armed forces general staff, stated that the new arrangement would allow Senegal to continue profiting from training and information exchanges.
France, the former colonial power, has come under fire for stationing soldiers in Senegal long after the country declared independence in 1960.
Senegal has long asked that Paris thoroughly investigate the 1944 killing of African soldiers fighting for France in World War II.
