France plans to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops, in line with President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to reduce the French military footprint in the region, three sources told AFP.
In February 2023, Macron announced a “significant reduction” in the presence of French troops in Africa, as anti-French sentiment runs high in some former colonies and countries such as Russia vie for more influence.
Under a plan currently being discussed with African partners, France plans to drastically reduce its so-called “pre-deployed” forces in Africa.
According to two sources close to the government and a military source, who asked not to be named, France will keep only about 100 troops in Gabon in central Africa, down from 350 today, and about 100 in Senegal, in West Africa, 350.
Paris plans to keep about 100 troops in Ivory Coast on West Africa’s southern coast — up from 600 today — and about 300 troops in Chad in north-central Africa, up from 1,000 now.
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The reduced presence could be expanded periodically based on the needs of local partners, the three sources said. Contacted by AFP, the French General Staff declined to comment.
Until two years ago, in addition to about 1,600 pre-deployed forces in West Africa and Gabon, France had more than 5,000 troops in Africa’s Sahel region as part of the anti-jihad operation Barkhane.
But it was gradually pushed back by the juntas that came to power in Mali in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023.
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All three countries now have security deals with Russia, which is seeking to expand its footprint on the continent.
Chad, which is ruled by Mahamat Idriss Deby, the son of Idriss Deby Itno, who was president for more than 30 years, is the last Sahel country to host French troops.
Landlocked Chad is surrounded by the Central African Republic, Sudan, Libya and Niger which host Russian paramilitary forces that emerged from the reorganization of the Wagner group whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash last August.
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In February, Macron tasked former minister Jean-Marie Bockel with working out new ways of French military presence with African partners.
Its conclusions are expected in July.
In May, Bockel told the Senate that France wanted to “reduce its visible presence, but maintain logistical, human and material access to these countries, while strengthening our action in response to their aspirations.”
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The French military plans to create a Paris-based command dedicated to Africa this summer, two sources familiar with the matter told AFP.
The French military is not ruling out “merging” its bases with American or European partners, said the chief of staff of France’s armed forces, General Thierry Burghardt.
According to Burkhard, the tighter new structure will make it possible to maintain relations with local military authorities, “gather intelligence” and “pursue operational partnerships,” among other tasks.
Instead of combat missions, French soldiers will essentially provide training and capabilities to partner countries at their request.
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