Ivory Coast Joins West African Nations Asking French Troops to Leave
BloombergDEC 26 2024
French Troops to Leave Côte d'Ivoire in January
Above: French Gen. Thierry Burkhard is accompanied by Ivorian Gen. Kouamé Julien during a visit to the International Counterterrorism Academy in Jaqueville, Côte d'Ivoire, on Feb. 7, 2022. Image copyright: Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
Ivorian Pres. Alassane Ouattara announced in a year-end address on Tuesday that French troops will depart from the country in January 2025, becoming the latest Francophone nation in West Africa to reduce military ties with the former colonial power.
He further said that the military base of France's 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion — located in Port-Bouët, a suburb of the capital Abidjan — will be handed over to Ivorian forces this month and renamed in honor of the first chief of staff of Côte d'Ivoire's army, Gen. Ouattara Thomas d'Aquin.
A spokesperson for the French Defense Ministry confirmed the withdrawal to the New York Times in an email on Wednesday, stressing that its counterterrorism efforts in West Africa, as well as bilateral cooperation with Côte d'Ivoire, will continue even without troops on the ground.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
West African nations, particularly the Francophone ones, have finally stood up against Western neocolonialism by reassessing military ties with former colonial powers. Côte d'Ivoire is just the latest to push for the withdrawal of foreign troops that have already proved unable to address security challenges in Africa.
Pro-establishment narrative
Though a complete withdrawal from Côte d'Ivoire was somewhat unexpected, this move is more one of mutual desire, as Paris had long expressed its plans to drastically reduce the visible presence of its forces in Africa. Even without French troops in the country, both nations will continue their security and intelligence cooperation.
