After withdrawing its troops from the Sahel region of West Africa, French President Emmanuel Macron announced plans to reposition the country’s military base in Djibouti as a strategic hub for missions in Africa.
Macron stated that the Djibouti base, traditionally focused on the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Indo-Pacific regions, would be “reinvented” to adapt to France’s evolving role on the African continent.
“Our role in Africa is changing, and that’s intentional because Africa itself is changing its governments, public opinion, and global dynamics,” Macron said during a Christmas dinner with 1,500 French soldiers stationed at the base, which hosts France’s largest overseas military presence.
This shift aligns with France’s strategy to rebuild partnerships based on mutual respect and sovereignty, as outlined in its February 2023 restructuring plan.
France’s military influence in Africa has diminished significantly following successive troop expulsions from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all now under military rule. Most recently, French forces began withdrawing from Chad, signaling a broader decline in Paris’s presence across its former colonies.
Additionally, Senegal has requested the removal of French troops, while their presence in Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire has been scaled back to minimal levels. Despite these setbacks, France is positioning Djibouti as a pivotal base for its renewed African strategy amidst changing geopolitical landscapes.
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