Ivory Coast officially assumed control of the last remaining French military base in the country on Thursday, marking a significant shift in its defense strategy as France scales back its military presence across West Africa.
At a ceremony in Abidjan, Ivorian troops took over the base, signaling the end of an era of French military installations in the nation.
Despite the transition, approximately 80 French soldiers will remain to provide training and advisory support to the Ivorian military, according to Tene Birahima Ouattara, Ivory Coast’s minister of defense and state.
“The world is evolving rapidly, and so must our defense partnership,” Ouattara said at a joint news conference with France’s armed forces minister. “Our security cooperation needs to focus on the future rather than being shaped by the past.”
The development follows a wave of withdrawals of French troops from several West African nations, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Chad, as leaders in the region reassess their relationships with Paris.
Analysts view the shift as part of a broader reconfiguration of regional security policies, driven in part by growing anti-French sentiments in former colonies.
