Ivory Coast has announced that French troops will withdraw from the West African nation, further reducing the former colonial country’s military influence in the region.
In his speech at the end of the year, the President of Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara, said that this action shows the progress of the military in that country.
Separately, Senegal, which announced last month that France would have to close its military bases on its territory, has confirmed that the withdrawal will be completed by 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France, whose colonial rule in West Africa ended in the 1960s, has already withdrawn its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following military coups in those countries and growing anti-French sentiment.
The government of Chad – a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militants in the region – abruptly ended its cooperation agreement with France in November.
Senegalese President Bassirou Dioumaye Faye said: “I have instructed the minister of defense to propose a new doctrine of cooperation in defense and security, which includes, among other results, the end of all foreign military presence in Senegal from 2025.”
Faye was elected in March on a promise to bring about sovereignty and end foreign dependence.
France will maintain a small presence in Gabon.
More than three decades after independence from France, the Ivory Coast (also known by its French name, Côte d’Ivoire) is known for its religious and ethnic harmony, as well as its well-developed economy.
The West African country was praised as an example of stability. But an armed rebellion in 2002 split the nation in two. Peace agreements were replaced by renewed violence as the country moved closer to a political resolution to the conflict.
Despite the instability, Ivory Coast is the largest exporter of cocoa beans in the world, and its citizens enjoy a high level of income compared to other countries in the region.
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