Ivory Coast has announced that French troops will withdraw from the West African nation, further reducing the military influence of the former colonial power in the region.
In an end-of-year address, Ivory Coast’s President, Alassane Ouattara, said the move was a reflection of the modernisation of the country’s armed forces.
Separately, Senegal, which last month announced France would have to close its military bases on its territory, confirmed the withdrawal would be completed by the end of 2025.
Ivory Coast is home to the biggest remaining contingent of French troops in West Africa. There are some 600 French military personnel in the country with 350 in Senegal.
President Ouattara added that the military infantry battalion of Port Bouét that is run by the French army would be handed over to Ivorian troops.
France, whose colonial rule in West Africa ended in the 1960s, has already pulled its soldiers out of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger following military coups in those countries and growing anti-French sentiment.
