Senegal distances itself from colonial previous, following pattern sweeping throughout West and Central Africa since 2022.
France and Senegal are setting phrases for a withdrawal of all French troopers stationed within the West African nation by the tip of this yr.
The 2 nations mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday that they’re establishing a joint fee that will oversee the “departure of French components” from the nation and “a restitution of [military] bases” by yr’s finish.
The overseas ministries of each nations mentioned they intend to work on “a brand new defence and safety partnership” that will consider “strategic priorities of all events”.
In November, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye introduced that French military bases have been “incompatible” with the nation’s sovereignty and its 350 troopers ought to go away.
The transfer got here simply earlier than Senegal marked the eightieth anniversary of mass killings of West African troopers by colonial forces in 1944.
The troopers of the Tirailleurs Senegalais unit, who fought in France’s struggle in opposition to Nazi Germany, had been protesting delays in salaries and poor dwelling circumstances when colonial troopers fired on them.
French President Emmanuel Macron admitted in a letter to Faye final yr that France had dedicated a “bloodbath”.
Senegal’s rejection of its colonial previous continues a pattern throughout West and Central Africa, the place nations are downgrading ties with France.
On the finish of January, France accomplished its troop withdrawal from Chad whereas Ivory Coast had earlier introduced the withdrawal of French forces.
The tone was very totally different from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, whose navy governments collectively ejected about 4,300 French troopers from their nations in 2022. In all three countries, France had refused to again the coups that introduced them to energy.
