President Faye wants French military out of Senegal

Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye says the French military must end its presence in the West African nation.

The French military has maintained a presence in Senegal since the country’s independence in 1960.

“There will soon be no more French soldiers in Senegal,” Faye told French daily Le Monde, on Friday, as he emphasized the importance of national sovereignty.

This marks the first official statement from the Senegalese government calling for the departure of French troops.

Faye, who has been in office since April, said he would on Sunday commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre, when hundreds of Africans were killed by French forces in 1944 for demanding pay.

The Senegalese president said he had received a letter from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron acknowledging that the incident “was indeed a massacre.”

“It is not enough to acknowledge that it was a massacre; it must pave the way for full collaboration to uncover the complete truth about the tragic events of Thiaroye,” he added.

Faye’s statement came as Central African nation Chad on Thursday also ended a military cooperation with France.

The development aligns with a broader regional trend, as neighboring west African countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have recently expelled French troops.

Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are members of the Alliance of Sahel States, formed in September last year. The three nations withdrew from the western-influenced Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Since then, the three nations have worked together in counterterrorism efforts and regional economic integration.

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