France to reduce military presence in West and Central Africa
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The rising anti-French sentiment in the region is taking its toll on French presence.
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A patrol vehicle of the Nigeiren Gendarmerie (L) escorting a French military vehicle as they cross the Lazaret district in Niamey taken on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
France intends to cut its military presence in West and Central Africa to about 600 troops, as part of President Emmanuel Macron's goals to diminish France's military footprint in the region.
Three sources informed AFP that as per a strategy presently being discussed with African partners, France intends to dramatically cut its so-called "pre-positioned" personnel in the continent.
In February 2023, Macron promised a "noticeable reduction" in French army presence in Africa, amid rising anti-French sentiment in the region.
Government and military sources who spoke on condition of anonymity divulged that France would maintain approximately 100 troops in Gabon, Central Africa, down from 350 now, and around 100 in Senegal, West Africa, down from 350.
Paris intends to maintain roughly 100 troops in Côte d'Ivoire on the southern coast of West Africa, down from 600, and around 300 people in Chad, down from 1,000.
According to the three sources, the smaller presence might be extended regularly to meet the demands of local partners.
Until two years ago, in addition to the around 1,600 militaries pre-deployed in West Africa and Gabon, France had almost 5,000 troops in the Sahel area of Africa before being steadily pushed out by juntas in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in recent years.
The three countries finalized plans to form a confederation after all three nations overthrew Western-allied governments and signed security agreements with Russia.
Chad is now the last Sahel country to host French soldiers. In February, Macron entrusted former minister Jean-Marie Bockel with negotiating new terms for France's military involvement in Africa with his conclusions expected in July.
In May, Bockel told the Senate that France aimed to "reduce its visible presence, but maintain logistical, human, and material access to these countries while reinforcing our action in response to their aspirations."
The French army intends to establish an Africa-focused command in Paris this summer, two additional insiders revealed.
General Thierry Burkhard, the chief of staff of France's armed forces, has stated that the French army is open to "pooling" its bases with American or European allies, allowing them to retain connections with local military officials, "gather intelligence," and "pursue operational partnerships," among other things.
Instead of combat operations, French soldiers will mostly give training and skills to partner nations as they desire.
