The French military presence in Africa suffers another major setback. On November 28, 2024, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye declared that French military bases will have to close, marking a decisive turning point in relations between Dakar and Paris. The same day, Chad announced the end of its defense agreements with Paris, a decision that came just hours after the visit of the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean Noël Barrot.
The Senegalese president justified this decision by the sovereignty of his country: “Senegal is an independent country, a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accommodate the presence of military bases in a sovereign country”. However, he recalled the importance of France as an economic and diplomatic partner, stressing that Senegal now maintains relations with other countries: “Today, China is our largest trading partner. However, does China have a military presence in Senegal? No.”
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These announcements come against a backdrop of declining French military influence in Africa. After the forced withdrawals from Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso following coups d’état, the end of the bases in Chad and Senegal completes the questioning of the French military presence in the region.
Rupture and colonial memory, 80 years after the Thiaroye massacre
This rupture coincides with the commemoration, this Sunday, December 1, 2024, of the Thiaroye massacre, a dark episode in colonial history. In 1944, several hundred Senegalese riflemen, demanding their pay after the Second World War, were executed by the French colonial army.
In a letter addressed to President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Emmanuel Macron recognized this massacre for the first time, describing the event as “unacceptable”. The French head of state insisted on the duty to “truth and justice” between the two nations, highlighting the bonds of friendship and fraternity that must prevail.
These two events, although distinct, resonate as a symbol of the growing emancipation of African countries from their former colonizer. The time has now come for the redefinition of relations between France and its African partners, on a renewed basis of respect and cooperation.
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