Senegalese president calls on France to shut down military bases

Dakar, Nov 29 Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has said that the presence of French military bases on Senegalese territory is "not compatible" with the sovereignty his administration upholds.

"Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty is not compatible with the presence of military bases in a sovereign country," he said in an interview with the AFP news agency, addressing relations between Senegal and France, particularly regarding the French military presence and bases in the West African country.

"The updating of our military doctrine is not only about military presence, it goes beyond that. It obviously requires that there be no more military bases of any kind in Senegal," he said, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Sixty-five years after our independence, the French authorities must also consider a partnership free of military presence, one that is instead rich, fruitful, privileged, and comprehensive, similar to the relationships we have with many other countries," Faye added.

He said it is a "major step" that French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged, in a letter, the "massacre" committed by French colonial forces in the village of Thiaroye, near the capital Dakar, on December 1, 1944, when they opened fire on Senegalese tirailleurs returning from France.

Faye noted that the letter, confirmed by the Elysee Palace, was sent three days before commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the massacre, an event the new Senegalese administration intends to highlight.

"A renewed partnership... can only be renewed in the truth and in the completeness of the truth," Faye said, adding that "France remains an important partner for Senegal in terms of the level of investment, the presence of French companies and French citizens residing in Senegal."

Senegal gained independence from France in 1960. While France has maintained several military bases in Dakar, it began reducing its presence in 2023 and is expected to retain only about 100 military personnel in Senegal, down from the current 350.

Source: IANS