Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko raised the possibility of closing French military bases in the West African country on Thursday, during a comprehensive speech that also touched on the euro-backed CFA franc currency, oil and gas deals, and LGBTQ rights.
Noteworthy is that France currently maintains about 3500 troops in Senegal.
“More than 60 years after our independence … we must question the reasons why the French army, for example, still benefits from several military bases in our country and the impact of this presence on our national sovereignty and our strategic autonomy,” Sonko said at a joint conference with French left-wing politician Jean-Luc Melenchon in Dakar.
“I reiterate here the desire of Senegal to have its own control, which is incompatible with the lasting presence of foreign military bases in Senegal … Many countries have promised defense agreements, but this does not justify the fact that a third of the Dakar region is now occupied by foreign garrisons.”
Sonko’s comments come amid a broader regional shift, with neighboring Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger expelling French troops and seeking assistance from Russia to combat jihadist insurgencies. These countries have also distanced themselves from the West African bloc ECOWAS, which condemned their coups, and have formed their own Sahel state alliance.
In his speech, Sonko also addressed social issues, calling on Western countries to show “restraint, respect, reciprocity, and tolerance” regarding LGBTQ rights and gender equality. “Senegal and many other African countries cannot accept any truth in legalising this phenomenon,” he stated.
