Senegal to Shut Foreign Military Bases to Reduce Dependence on External Powers

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has announced the imminent closure of all foreign military bases in the country. During a general policy speech to parliament on December 27, Sonko emphasised the government’s commitment to reshaping Senegal’s defense strategy and reducing reliance on external powers.

The announcement followed remarks made last month by President Bassirou Faye, who declared that Senegal would no longer host French military forces.

Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye told a French news agency on November 29.

While no exact timeline has been confirmed for the withdrawal, the president hinted at a transitional process aligned with a 2012 treaty requiring six months’ notice to terminate the agreement.

The treaty, which allows France to maintain three military bases in Senegal and provide military training and logistical support, currently supports around 300 French personnel stationed in the country.

It will be recalled that Faye’s earlier announcement coincided with the day Chad also terminated its defense agreement with France, a partnership dating back to 1966. This shift followed earlier French military withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in response to coups and growing anti-French sentiment in the region.

Faye, elected in March 2024, and Prime Minister Sonko, appointed in April, have championed a platform of “left-wing pan-Africanism,” stressing political and economic independence. With a strong parliamentary majority secured in November’s early elections, their government is poised to advance its ambitious agenda.

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