Ousmane Sonko has urged other African countries to stand firm in asserting their sovereignty

Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko has declared that all foreign military personnel stationed in the country must withdraw by the end of July.

French troops remain the only foreign military presence in Senegal, operating under a 2012 defense partnership agreement. As part of a phased withdrawal, France officially transferred control of the Rear Admiral Protet naval base in Dakar to Senegalese authorities on May 15. This follows the earlier handover of the Marshall and Saint-Exupery facilities in March. The remaining bases are scheduled to be transferred in subsequent phases.

Speaking to Burkina Faso's national broadcaster RTB on Monday, Sonko said that since his administration came to power nearly a year ago, it had taken a number of steps to assert national sovereignty.

"We have notified all countries that have military bases in Senegal that we demand a complete withdrawal. There will be no more foreign military bases on Senegalese territory," he stated.

According to the prime minister, the withdrawal process is already underway. He confirmed that one foreign military base was vacated just two days prior to the interview and stressed that the handover of another facility would be completed by the end of July.

Sonko framed the move as a normal assertion of sovereignty, stating that Senegal has "a national army, defense and security forces. We think we are able to ensure our own safety." He also called on other African nations to take greater control of their own destinies.

In November 2023, Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye called the presence of French troops "incompatible" with national sovereignty. His newly elected administration has taken a firm stance on scaling back France's military footprint in the country.

Several West African nations, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, have severed all military ties with France in recent years, citing frustration with French-led counterterrorism efforts and a desire to seek out alternative partners like Russia.

(RT.com)