(SenePlus) – The planned departure of the French army from Senegal this year is causing serious concern among local employees. According to AFP, several hundred Senegalese civilians gathered in Dakar on Wednesday to express their concerns and demand fair conditions for dismissal and reclassification.
This historic decision is part of the political context of the new President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who came to power in 2024. His program provides for the end of all foreign military presence on the national territory, marking a significant break in Franco-Senegalese relations.
The social impact of this withdrawal promises to be considerable. According to AFP, French military installations in Dakar and its surrounding areas directly employ around 170 people, with a total workforce of between 400 and 500 people including subcontractors. The general secretary of the French Elements staff union in Senegal (EFS), Djibril Ndiaye, expressed the workers’ expectations: either reintegration into the services of the Senegalese state, or support for their professional reintegration.
History seems to be repeating itself for these employees. In 2011, AFP recalls, a previous reorganization of the French army had already led to hundreds of job losses. The unions, refusing to be the “lambs of sacrifice”, are today demanding “a better social plan than that of then”.
Faced with these concerns, the commander of the EFS, Brigadier General Yves Aunis, wanted to reassure the staff. According to its statements to AFP, the French state is “very aware of the human issues and the impacts on Senegalese families”. He promised respect for Senegalese labor law and “good starting conditions”, assuring that “there will be a dismissal plan” and that “there will be no pettiness”.
As AFP points out, although Senegal has been one of France’s most loyal African allies since its independence in 1960, the new administration now wants to place France on an equal footing with other foreign partners. , claiming full sovereignty.
Senegal
