France intends to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to about 600 soldiers, in line with President Emmanuel Macron’s plans, three sources said.
In February 2023, Macron announced a “significant reduction” in the presence of French forces in France’s former colonies in Africa.
According to a plan under discussion with African partners, France plans to significantly reduce the number of its forces “already deployed” in Africa.
Two sources close to the government and a military source reported that France will keep only about 100 soldiers in Gabon in Central Africa and a similar number in Senegal in West Africa, compared to the current 350 soldiers in each of the two countries.
Paris also intends to keep about 100 soldiers in Ivory Coast on the southern coast of West Africa, compared to 600 soldiers currently, and about 300 soldiers in Chad in north-central Africa, compared to a thousand soldiers currently.
The three sources said that the number of soldiers could be increased periodically based on the needs of local partners.
In addition to about 1,600 soldiers deployed in West Africa and Gabon, until two years ago, France had more than 5,000 soldiers in the Sahel region of Africa as part of the “Barkhane” operation to combat terrorist organizations.
But Paris gradually withdrew its forces at the request of the authorities in Mali in 2021, in Burkina Faso in 2022, and Niger in 2023.
Two sources said that the French army intends to establish a command, based in the capital, Paris, dedicated to Africa this summer.
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