FRANCE COMPLETES MILITARY WITHDRAWAL FROM IVORY COAST

Fri 21 February 2025:

France on Thursday withdrew from its sole military base in Ivory Coast, in West Africa, according to media reports.

France’s Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu attended the official decommissioning ceremony at the base, local media reported.

Ivory Coast, a former French colony, will continue cooperating with France on the military level, as previously announced by Ivorian Defense Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara.

The Port-Bouet military camp, officially the 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion’s camp located near the former capital of Abidjan, will be renamed after the Ivorian army’s first chief of staff, Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara.

France’s military presence in Africa has been steadily declining in recent years as several nations in the region, including Chad, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, pushed out the forces of the former colonialist power.

French troops currently remain in Djibouti and Gabon, two countries that have not signaled changes to agreements with Paris on its military presence.

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France has had a long and complex relationship with Ivory Coast, its former colony in West Africa. This relationship has included a military presence that has evolved over time. Ivory Coast was part of French West Africa. France’s influence was deeply entrenched in the political, economic, and social structures of the country. Ivory Coast gained independence in 1960, but close ties with France remained.

France maintained a military presence in Ivory Coast through agreements that focused on defense cooperation and security assistance. France’s main military base was located at Port-Bouet, near Abidjan, the economic capital. This base played a role in regional security and stability. In the early 2000s, during a period of political instability and conflict in Ivory Coast, France launched Operation Licorne to protect French citizens and help stabilize the country. France has significant economic interests in Ivory Coast, including in sectors like cocoa production.

It’s important to note that France’s military presence in Africa has been a subject of debate. Some view it as a stabilizing force, while others criticize it as a form of neocolonialism.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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