France on Thursday formally handed back its last two military bases in Senegal, leaving Paris with no permanent camps in either west or central Africa. In February France handed back its sole remaining base in Ivory Coast,

The French military has completed its withdrawal from Senegal, its last West African country with a permanent troop presence, amid waning regional influence.

After storming to victory in 2024 elections promising radical change, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye demanded France withdraw troops from the country by 2025. Unlike the leaders of other former colonies such as junta-run Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, however, Faye has insisted that Senegal will keep working with Paris.