France returned its sole military base in Côte d'Ivoire to local authorities on Thursday, February 20, marking an end to decades of French presence at the site. The French and Ivorian defense ministers signed a document to confirm the return, shortly after the Ivorian flag was raised in the base's parade ground.
"This act marks a new era in the friendship and strategic collaboration between our two countries," Ivorian Defense Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara said. "The presence of France is changing, but is not disappearing," said French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, adding that the moment was "historic."
A changing of the guard took place at the beginning of the ceremony to mark the transfer of security responsibilities to the Ivorian army.
The 570-acre Port-Bouet military camp flanking Côte d'Ivoire's largest city of Abidjan has been a fixture in the country's life since 1978 and helped stabilise the world's top cocoa producer after coups and unrest broke out in the nation after 2000.
The 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion's camp will now become Camp Thomas d'Aquin Ouattara, after the Ivorian army's first chief of staff, whose portrait is set to be unveiled on the facade of the command post.
France is revamping military relations with African nations after the forced departure of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where military-led governments hostile to Paris have seized power. About 1,000 French soldiers were deployed in Port-Bouet and helped in the fight against jihadists, who launch regular attacks across the wider region.
The French withdrawal will take place gradually over the course of 2025, but about 100 French soldiers are expected to remain for training and support missions. The link between the two armies goes back to 1961, when a military agreement was signed after Ivorian independence, while the French presence in the country dates back to the colonial era.