Ivory Coast is asking French troops to leave, the latest African country to do so

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) – Ivory Coast announced Tuesday that French troops would leave the country after decades of military occupation, the latest African nation to downgrade military ties with its former power.

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said the withdrawal would begin in January 2025. France has up to 600 troops in Ivory Coast.

“We have decided on a joint and orderly withdrawal of French troops from the Ivory Coast,” he said, adding that the Port Bouét military base held by the French army will be handed over to the Ivory Coast.

Outtara’s announcement follows that of other West African leaders, where French troops have been asked to leave. Analysts described requests for French troops to leave Africa as part of a wider structural change in the region’s negotiations with Paris.

France has faced similar problems in several West African countries in recent years, including Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, where French soldiers had been stationed for many years and were expelled.

Several West African countries – including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – have recently asked the French to leave. Among them are the latest Senegal, and Chad, which is considered a stable and loyal partner of France in Africa.

The reduction in military ties comes as France has been making efforts to revive its waning political and military influence on the continent by developing a new military strategy that will significantly reduce its existing military presence in Africa.

Now France has been removed from more than 70% of African countries where it had troops since ending its rule. The French are left only in Djibouti, with 1,500 soldiers, and Gabon, with 350 soldiers.

Analysts described the development as part of a wider structural change in the region’s negotiations with Paris amid growing local sentiment against France, particularly in countries hit by coups.

After expelling French troops, the military leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have moved closer to Russia, where troops have been deployed in the Sahel accused of abusing civilians.

However, the security situation has worsened in those countries, with increasing numbers of violent attacks and civilian deaths from armed groups and government forces.