France has suffered yet another blow from its former colonies in Africa, as Côte d’Ivoire officially took control of Paris’ last military base in the country.

Out of approximately 2,200 French soldiers stationed in Côte d’Ivoire, only about 80 will remain to provide advisory and training support to the Ivorian army, according to the French Minister of the Armed Forces in a joint conference with Téné Birahima Ouattara, Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of State and Defense.

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Regarding France’s withdrawal from Côte d’Ivoire, Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister of the Armed Forces, stated: “The world is changing rapidly. It was clear that our defense relationship also had to evolve, focusing more on future prospects in response to new threats and the increasing complexity of global security, rather than being based on a defense relationship inspired by the past.”

However, he clarified that “France is adapting its presence, but it is not disappearing.”

The French government is making efforts to revive its waning political and military influence in Africa by developing a new military strategy.

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For his part, Ivorian Defense Minister Téné Birahima Ouattara stated that this step represents “a new phase in the friendship and strategic cooperation between our two countries.”

Côte d’Ivoire’s decision is part of a broader transformation of French forces across West Africa, where several nations have requested their departure.

Analysts describe these requests for the withdrawal of French troops as part of a wider structural shift in the region’s relationship with Paris, amid growing local resentment against France, especially in countries affected by coups.

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In recent years, French troops, long present on the ground, have been expelled from several West African nations, including Niger, Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Chad—traditionally regarded as France’s most stable and loyal African partner.

France has now been asked to leave more than 70% of the African countries where it once had a military presence since the end of colonial rule. The only remaining forces are in Djibouti, with 1,500 soldiers, and Gabon, with 350 soldiers.

Following the expulsion of French forces, military leaders in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso have drawn closer to Russia, which has deployed some of its forces throughout the Sahel region.

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