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Ivory Coast has announced the withdrawal of French troops from the West African country, further reducing military forces already deployed in the region.
In a speech at the end of the year, the President of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, said that the move is a reflection of the modernization of the country’s military.
Separately, Senegal, which last month announced that France would have to close its military bases in its territory, confirmed that the withdrawal will end at the end of 2025.
Ivory Coast is home to the largest French military presence in West Africa.
There are 600 French soldiers in the country and 350 in Senegal.
France, whose colonial rule in West Africa ended in the 1960s, has already withdrawn its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following armed rebellions in those countries and a rise in anti-French sentiment.
Chad’s government – a key Western supporter in the fight against Islamist militants in the region – abruptly ended its alliance with France in November.
The President of Senegal, Bassirou Dioumaye Faye, said: “I have instructed the Minister of Defense to present a new doctrine to support security and defense, including, among other things, the end of foreign military forces in Senegal from 2025.”
Faye was elected in March on a promise to decentralize and end foreign dependence.
France will maintain a limited presence in Gabon.
For more than thirty years since the Ivory Coast (also known by the French name Côte d’Ivoire) was known for its religious and ethnic unity, as well as its prosperous economy.
The West African nation was hailed as an example of stability. But an armed rebellion in 2002 split the country in two. Peace has been replaced by renewed violence as the country slowly moves to end the conflict.
Despite the poor conditions, Ivory Coast is the largest producer of cocoa beans in the world, and its citizens earn more than other countries in the region.
