Senegal, like Chad, reacted strongly to the comments of French President Emmanuel Macron, who affirmed, among other things, that the withdrawal of French troops was the result of negotiations with the different countries of the continent. False, says Senegal, which announced, at the end of December, the closure of French military bases in 2025 in its country, of which here are the next steps.
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With our correspondent in Dakar, Léa-Lisa Westerhoff
Concretely, the French army has four positions and a little more than 200 French soldiers still based in Dakar. On the French side, we say we are listening to what the Senegalese want. No precise timetable has yet been decided, say several sources within the government.
According to a French military source, two of these rights of way, located near the port of Dakar, have been empty for several months already and ready to be handed over to the Senegal. At the end of December, Dakar reportedly requested additional time before recovering the keys.
Two bases remaining
There remains the Rufisque military base, on the outskirts of the capital, made up of housing with secure communications antennas. And the Ouakam base, in the middle of the city. A little over 200 French soldiers provide training there with the Senegalese army and officers from the region.
According to French military sources, a proposal had been made to hand over part of the housing on this base to the Senegalese army in the summer of 2024 to make it a Franco-Senegalese base and maintain some French soldiers on site.
But nothing has been decided, affirms this same source, since no political discussion with the new authorities has yet taken place on the subject.
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