FREXIT: Why Ivory Coast is joining the African campaign to expel French troops military news

French troops stationed in Ivory Coast for decades will soon leave, Ivorian officials have said, marking a further diplomatic blow to France amid local resentment that has caused one-time allies in West and Central Africa Have broken relations with Paris.

President Alassane Ouattara’s announcement on Tuesday puts Ivory Coast on a growing list of African countries that are cutting military ties with the once hugely influential former colonial power, as some former French allies also fight a spate of armed groups in the region. The Russians are turning to mercenaries for help.

Within days of each other in November, Chad and Senegal expelled French troops, joining several Sahel countries that had done the same earlier in 2021.

The wave of protests has forced France to draw up a new military strategy for the continent, which officials say will be tailored to the “needs” of partner countries. Temporary deployment and greater focus on training of local forces, rather than permanent military presence, are some of the features of the new policy.

Here’s why Ivory Coast made the list and how France’s influence is waning in the region:

Why is Ivory Coast expelling French troops?

In his end-of-2024 address to the nation on 31 December, President Ouattara said that the Ivorian government had decided to expel French troops because the Ivorian military is “now in effect”. The President did not give any other reason.

“We can be proud of our Army, the modernization of which has now come into effect. It is in this context that we have decided on a concerted and organized withdrawal of French forces,” Ouattara said.

The 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), a French army base based in Port-Bouët in the economic capital Abidjan, will be “handed over” to the Ivorian army from January 2025, he said. French troops are helping Ivorian forces in the fight against armed groups operating in the Sahel and expanding into the Gulf of Guinea countries, including Ivory Coast and Ghana. France also served as part of a United Nations peacekeeping mission during the country’s long civil war from 2002 to 2011.

Ouattara’s announcement on Tuesday was unexpected. Many see the president as one of the African leaders closest to France. In a country where anger against France is growing, that perception has created deep resentment towards the government. In August, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Ouattara at a private dinner at the Elysee.

Analysts say Ouattara’s decision to cut military ties could also be political, as Ivorians prepare for general elections in October. Ouattara, who has been in power since 2010, has not yet said whether he will seek a fourth term in elections. His decision to run for president in 2020 following the sudden death of his successor and Prime Minister, Amadou Gon Coulibaly, sparked widespread outrage in opposition camps.

Why is France facing widespread opposition in Francophone Africa?

In recent years France has faced unprecedented, bitter criticism from citizens in its former colonies in West and Central Africa. From Mali to Ivory Coast, thousands of people have taken to the streets in mass protests demanding that their governments permanently sever ties with Paris.

Some of the resentment is linked to historical disputes over colonialism. French direct rule during colonization is believed to have weakened traditional institutions, culture and leadership by imposing European authorities and customs on local people. French officials governing the colonies were considered particularly harsh both in their administration and in their efforts to expand France’s economic penetration.

After the countries gained their independence in the 1960s, Paris built a strong web of ties with African leaders and elites, known as “Françafrique”, to protect France’s vast economic interests and keep French troops on the ground. Was called. More than 200 French companies operate on the continent, including oil and gas giant Total and Orano, which mines uranium to power France’s nuclear power plants. French troops are also operating throughout the region, training and assisting local forces.

However, over the past five years, military-led governments in the Sahel region have pushed back against the perceived weakness of the French military. Despite the presence of thousands of French troops, armed group activity has turned the region into a hotbed of violence as groups such as Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) are waging war on security forces and authorities in Mali, Burkina Faso. , and Niger. Increasingly, armed groups have infiltrated into coastal Ivory Coast, Ghana and Benin.

Which countries have expelled French troops and why?

By January 2025, six African countries – Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Senegal and Ivory Coast – had severed military ties with France.

gardener: In August 2020, a group of Malian Armed Forces soldiers rebelled and seized power from the civilian government in Bamako, citing its inability to stop rising levels of violence. After France condemned the coup, the military government introduced a populist narrative and blamed France for interfering in the country’s decision-making. Hundreds of people took to the streets praising the army and demanding they leave France. The coup triggered a series of takeovers in Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea and Gabon.

In June 2021, Macron announced that French forces would be leaving the Sahel in a phased manner. By December 2023, the exit was complete. Mali has since strengthened ties with Russia, and Russian mercenaries currently operate in the region. Conflict continues – More than 5,000 people have been killed, and millions displaced, in the Sahel in the first half of 2024, according to conflict tracker, ACLED.

Burkina Faso: The current military government seized power in January 2022 due to resentment against the civilian government, which it considered powerless against armed groups and which the French government was believed to be supporting. In February 2023, the military government ordered French troops to leave Burkinabé soil within a month. It is believed that around 300 Russian soldiers arrived in the country in January 2024.

Niger: As civilian governments fell in neighboring countries, the military there also ousted and detained President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup in July 2023. Many Nigerians marched in support of the army and called for the French troops stationed in Niamey to leave. The military government expelled French troops in December 2023.

Senegal: In November 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Fay said that France should “close” its military bases from 2025 because the French military presence was not compatible with Senegal’s sovereignty. The announcement was made as Senegal marked 80 years since the colonial-era massacre, in which French troops killed tens of thousands of West African soldiers angered by their treatment after fighting for Paris in World War II. There are 350 French soldiers deployed in the country.

Chad: Officials also announced in November that Chad was ending a military agreement it had had with France since the 1960s. The country was a vital link in France’s military presence in Africa and its ultimate hold on the wider Sahel region. Foreign Minister Abdermane Koulamallah called France “an essential partner”, but said that “now it must also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty”. . There are 1,000 French soldiers deployed in the country.

Does France still have a military presence in Africa?

Yes, France has maintained a large military base in Djibouti in East Africa. The country, which is also a former colony of France, hosts about 1,500 French troops and is one of France’s largest foreign military contingents.

In West and Central Africa, France maintains a small presence in Gabon where it has about 300 troops. Gabon’s military seized power in a coup in August 2023, ending the five-year rule of the Bongo family.

However, unlike other military-led countries in the region, Paris has maintained ties with Gabon’s military government, possibly to the displeasure of the ruling family, some analysts say.