FRENCH TROOPS TO WITHDRAW FROM IVORY COAST: PRESIDENT

Thu 02 January 2025:

French troops will withdraw from Ivory Coast in January, President Alassane Ouattara said Tuesday in his end of year address to the nation.

“We can be proud of our army, whose modernization is effective. It is in this context that we have decided on the concerted and organized withdrawal of French forces in Cote d’Ivoire,” he said, adding the camp of the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion in Port Bouet will be returned to the country’s armed forces.

The 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion is a corps of marine troops stationed in Port-Bouet, southeast of Abidjan.

The move follows similar decisions in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, where governments have pushed back against France’s influence, citing sovereignty concerns.

The withdrawals reflect growing anti-French sentiment across parts of West Africa fuelled by demands for greater autonomy and dissatisfaction with France’s role in regional security and governance.

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Colonialism in Africa, including French colonial rule, deeply shaped the continent. France colonized large parts of West and Central Africa, including Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire), from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century.

This rule was marked by resource extraction, cultural imposition, and the exploitation of local populations. Although Ivory Coast gained independence in 1960, France maintained strong political, economic, and military ties, a system often referred to as “Françafrique.”

French troops have remained in Ivory Coast for decades, initially under defense agreements but increasingly as peacekeepers and stabilizers. In 2002, civil war broke out in Ivory Coast, and French forces intervened to protect civilians and mediate between warring factions.

Tensions peaked in 2011 during a disputed presidential election, where French troops helped oust incumbent Laurent Gbagbo after his refusal to cede power to Alassane Ouattara.

Critics argue these interventions reflect neocolonialism, as France continues to influence Ivorian politics and economics. Supporters claim they help maintain stability in a volatile region. This dual narrative highlights the lingering effects of colonialism, where independence did not fully sever Africa from European influence, leaving a complex legacy of dependency, intervention, and contested sovereignty.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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