The forced departure of French troops from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger over the past two years following coups in these countries was a major event in the geopolitics of West Africa, and its repercussions could also affect Senegal.
After decades of France’s military presence on its territory, the coming to power of democratically elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye opens the way for a similar paradigm shift. “Sixty years after our independence, we must question why the French army still has military bases in our country,” said Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko during a meeting with students in Dakar. last May.
These remarks come during the visit of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French opposition “La France Insoumise”, underlining the desire of the Senegalese government to find new partners in its relationship with France. Both Sonko and President Faye, who took office on April 2, advocate a reduction in foreign dependence.
However, the future of the French presence in Senegal remains to be officially clarified, beyond informal discussions. “Today, there is no justification for the presence of these military forces on our soil,” underlines Diao Diallo, representative of the Front for an Anti-Imperialist, Popular and Pan-African Revolution (FRAPP), expressing the “anti-French” feeling. ” in Senegal.
#Senegal
