Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has ordered France to remove its military bases, signaling the end of a decades-long defense pact. This decision aligns with Faye’s nationalist campaign promises and growing anti-France sentiments in West Africa. On the 80th anniversary of the Thiaroye massacre, in which hundreds of Senegalese soldiers were killed by French colonial forces, Faye emphasized that military bases undermine Senegal’s sovereignty. Even though he has severed military ties, Faye clarified that economic relations with France, Senegal’s key business partner, would continue. Paris, grappling with waning influence in its former colonies, faces similar rejections from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, driven by anti-colonial sentiments and perceptions of political interference. As France pivots to economic partnerships with countries like Nigeria, Senegal’s government, led by Faye and Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, remains committed to reforms that challenge historical ties with Paris while seeking reparations for colonial injustices.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA