By Joe Udo
DAKAR (CONVERSEER) – The French government will return its last military base in Senegal, marking the final phase of the gradual withdrawal of the French Elements in Senegal (EFS).
The announcement was made by the French ambassador to Senegal and Gambia during the French national holiday reception in Dakar.
The base in question, located in Ouakam, will be officially handed over on July 18, in line with President Emmanuel Macron’s 2022 directive to restructure France’s military footprint in Africa.
This move follows the July 1 transfer of the Rufisque Joint Broadcasting Station, a strategic facility used since 1960, and previous returns of sites including Maréchal, Saint-Exupéry, and the Contre-Amiral Protet district at the port of Dakar.
The transfer of all EFS-occupied sites is scheduled to be completed by the end of July.
The new military relationship between France and Senegal will shift towards training and interoperability, aligning with the 2012 military cooperation treaty.
Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to a sovereign and mutually respectful partnership during a recent meeting between Presidents Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Emmanuel Macron.
An intergovernmental seminar is planned in Dakar later this year to define the future framework of cooperation, as part of France’s strategy to reconfigure its military presence across Africa.
