Ivory Coast formally took management of Port-Bouët, the final remaining French navy base within the nation on Thursday.
Paris formally handed the camp over in a ceremony that included a altering of the guard to mark the switch of safety obligations to the Ivorian military.
France has been current in Ivory Coast for many years, however the handover comes as nearly all of its forces depart international locations throughout West Africa.
French Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated some 80 French servicemen will proceed to remain within the nation to advise and practice the Ivorian navy.
“France is transforming its presence, France is not disappearing,” he stated.
About 1,000 French troopers had been deployed in Port- Bouët and helped within the battle towards jihadists, who launch common assaults throughout the broader area.
The withdrawal will happen regularly over the course of 2025, however round 80 French troopers are anticipated to stay for coaching and assist missions..
New navy cooperation agreements had been signed on the ceremony between the 2 international locations, with each side stressing that relations between them stay heat.
“This act marks a new era in the friendship and strategic collaboration between our two countries,” stated Ivorian Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara.
He stated the bottom was going be renamed after the Ivorian military’s first Chief of Staff, the late General Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara.
Ivory Coast’s announcement follows that of different leaders throughout West Africa, the place France’s navy has been requested to go away.
Analysts say the requests for his or her departure will be seen as a part of a broader structural transformation within the area’s engagement with Paris.
French troops have lately been kicked out of a number of West African international locations together with Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Chad which was thought of France’s most steady and constant accomplice in Africa.
The French authorities has been making efforts to revive its waning political and navy affect on the continent by devising a brand new navy technique.
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