France will officially return the Ouakam military base to Senegal, marking the close of a decades-long chapter in postcolonial security cooperation between the two nations.
This move, championed by Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, is a decisive step toward reaffirming national sovereignty.
Since Senegal’s independence, the French military presence has symbolized a strategic partnership linking Paris and Dakar. For more than sixty years, French troops maintained a continuous foothold on Senegalese soil, with Ouakam serving as the last bastion. Now, after a carefully orchestrated withdrawal process, that presence will end.
The dismantling began in 2022 under the direction of French President Emmanuel Macron and was endorsed by President Faye following his election in 2024.
Several military sites, including the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry districts, the Contre-Amiral Protêt site, and the Rufisque joint communications station, were handed over to Senegal between March and July 2025. Only Ouakam and two remaining facilities remain to be returned.
This handover has been managed by a joint Franco-Senegalese commission tasked with ensuring a smooth logistical and administrative transition.
Importantly, this withdrawal does not sever military cooperation; rather, it signals a shift toward partnerships emphasizing training, skill transfer, and interoperability between the two countries’ armed forces.
French Ambassador Christine Fages described this new approach as “rebalanced, frank, and assertive,” responding to growing demands for African strategic autonomy.
President Faye, elected on a pan-Africanist platform, explicitly demanded the removal of all foreign military bases from Senegal.
The process has social repercussions. Some 162 local employees at the French Elements in Senegal have faced layoffs, sparking union concerns despite career support programs. Hundreds of subcontracted workers are also affected, highlighting the human cost of this historic transition.
Senegal’s orderly and consensual military withdrawal contrasts with more turbulent exits France has faced in other parts of Africa, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
It symbolizes a new era where France recalibrates its African strategy—from permanent bases to flexible, demand-driven cooperation.
The handover of Ouakam is not just a transfer of buildings; it is a powerful symbol of shifting ties. While the military footprint shrinks, diplomatic and strategic relations between France and Senegal continue—now grounded in respect for sovereignty and partnership on equal terms.
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