France hands over military base in Ivory Coast, retains 80 troops

France has officially handed over control of its military base in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, as part of a broader drawdown of its military presence in West and Central Africa. However, 80 French military personnel will remain in the country primarily for training purposes.

Speaking at a ceremony in Abidjan on Thursday, French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu emphasized that France was not withdrawing entirely from Ivory Coast.

“We are not disappearing,” Lecornu said, explaining that the remaining troops would form “the basis of a joint detachment,” with their presence reassessed based on Ivory Coast’s needs, particularly in military training.

French forces have maintained a presence in Ivory Coast for decades, playing a key role in helping President Alassane Ouattara take office in 2011 after his predecessor, Laurent Gbagbo, refused to concede defeat in the 2010 election.

The withdrawal comes as France continues to scale back its military footprint in the region. In late 2023, reports emerged that France was considering reducing its troop presence across West and Central Africa from 2,200 to around 600. Ouattara later confirmed in December that French forces would leave Ivory Coast.

The move follows France’s military pullout from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger after military coups and rising anti-French sentiment in those countries. More recently, France began withdrawing troops from Chad in December after the government ended its defense cooperation pact with Paris.