Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has called for the closure of French military bases in the country, asserting that their presence is incompatible with Senegal’s sovereignty. Speaking to AFP on Thursday ahead of the 80th anniversary of a notorious colonial-era massacre, Faye commended French President Emmanuel Macron for acknowledging France’s responsibility for the 1944 atrocity but emphasised the need for Senegal to chart a fully independent path.
“Senegal is an independent country, it is a sovereign country and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country,” Faye stated during an interview at the presidential palace.
Elected in March on a platform of reinforcing national sovereignty, Faye argued that Senegal could maintain partnerships without foreign military forces on its soil, citing China as an example of a major trading partner without a military presence in the country.
Faye clarified, however, that this stance does not signal a complete severing of ties with France, unlike the anti-French shifts seen in neighbouring West African nations such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military juntas have expelled French forces in favour of Russian security aid.
The Senegalese president revealed that Macron had sent a letter acknowledging the 1944 Thiaroye massacre, a long-standing source of tension between Dakar and Paris. The massacre occurred when French forces killed at least 35 African soldiers—though historians believe the death toll could be much higher—who had fought for France during World War II and were protesting pay delays upon their return to Senegal.
Faye described Macron’s admission as a great step and indicated he might demand an official apology from France. “To recognise that a massacre has been committed must obviously have the effect of making amends…. we think that naturally this is what must follow,” he said. Macron also expressed regret for being unable to attend the 80th-anniversary commemoration of the massacre.
France’s military presence in Africa has been shrinking amid growing anti-French sentiment in several former colonies. Earlier this year, French sources reported plans to reduce troop numbers in Senegal and Gabon to 100 each, in Chad to 300, and in Ivory Coast to 100 from 600.
Despite these reductions, Faye reaffirmed Senegal’s commitment to its economic ties with France, emphasising the continued presence of French companies and citizens in the country. However, he underscored that true sovereignty requires an end to foreign military bases.
