After months of back and forth with all the African countries where the French army has military troops, the government is about to conclude important discussions on the permanent manpower deployed there. This work is closely linked to the report expected in July from Jean-Marie Bockel, French President Emmanuel Macron's special envoy for Africa, appointed in February, and also connected to the first visit to France by Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the new president of Senegal – where France retains several holdings – on the occasion of the World Forum for Vaccine Sovereignty and Innovation, on Thursday, June 20.
According to information published by Agence France-Presse and Africa Intelligence, on June 17 and 18, the option that seems to be favored is that of a sharp reduction in the French military presence in all its bases on the continent, in Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Chad and Senegal, with the exception of Djibouti. As a result, only around 100 men and women would be maintained in Libreville (down from 350 today), Dakar (down from 350), Abidjan (down from 600 today) and around 300 in N'Djamena (down from 1,000 today).
These numbers have not been confirmed by the French presidency, which is at the forefront of this issue, but in line with the decision taken by the president at a Defense Council meeting in December 2023, following the completion of the disengagement of French troops from Niger in the wake of the 2023 coup d'état. While some downsizing has already taken place, these numbers convey the choice of a "middle ground": In December 2023, Macron was also presented with the option of completely closing several of these bases.
The missing link in this major reorganization of the armed forces, after 10 years of fighting terrorism with 5,000 soldiers (excluding special forces) spread across the Sahel under Operation Barkhane (2014-2022) banner, remains the future of military cooperation with Dakar. Senegal's new President Faye, elected in March, and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko both take a very sovereignist stance, challenging France and its military presence.
In mid-May, at a conference on relations between Africa and Europe, alongside leader of La France Insoumise (left-wing) Jean-Luc Mélenchon, Sonko solemnly declared that "Senegal's desire" for "self-determination" "is incompatible with the lasting presence of foreign military bases," even if this "does not call into question defense agreements." Senegal remains the only country where Bockel has not yet visited, pending a Thursday lunch meeting between Faye and Macron.
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