President Diomaye calls for a departure of French soldiers from Senegal

In an interview with Le Monde this Thursday, the President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye considered that the French military presence “does not correspond to our conception of sovereignty and independence”. Will the French soldiers based in Senegal pack up? In any case, this is the wish of the President of Senegal. This Thursday, November 28, Bassirou Diomaye Faye questions the presence of 350 French soldiers in his country, believing that “this does not correspond to our conception of sovereignty and independence”. “Why do we need French soldiers in Senegal? Which country can have foreign soldiers on its soil and claim its independence?” asks Bassirou Diomaye Faye, reports LeTémoin.

The latter considered that it is “obvious” that French soldiers will leave Senegal without setting a deadline “for the moment”. “We have cooperation with the United States, China and even Turkey without these countries having a base on our soil. (…) Is France capable of doing this? It is not because the French have been there since the period of slavery that it is impossible to do otherwise,” judges the Senegalese president. Bassirou Diomaye Faye nevertheless tempered that relations with France “remain in good shape”.