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France plans to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to around 600 troops, three sources told AFP, in line with President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to limit France’s military footprint in the region.
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February 2023, Macron Announced a “significant reduction” in France AfricaIn some former colonies and countries, anti-French sentiment is high, e.g. Russia All are vying for greater influence.
Under plans currently under discussion with African partners, France The United States is planning to significantly reduce its so-called “pre-positioned” troops in Africa.
France will keep only about 100 troops in Gabon in Central Africa, down from 350 currently and around 100 in 2011, according to two sources close to the government and a military source who spoke on condition of anonymity. Senegalexist West Africabelow 350.
Paris plans to keep about 100 soldiers Ivory Coast The number of troops stationed on the southern coast of West Africa will be reduced from the current 600. Chad In North and Central Africa, the number is down from 1,000 today.
The three sources said the reduced troop presence could be expanded periodically depending on the needs of local partners. The French General Staff declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
Until two years ago, in addition to the approximately 1,600 troops pre-positioned in West Africa and GabonPreviously, France sent more than 5,000 soldiers to the Sahel region of Africa to participate in the “Barhani” anti-jihad operation.
But this policy has been gradually overturned by the military junta that came to power in 2006. Mali Burkina Faso (2021) Niger In 2023.
All three countries currently have security agreements with Russia, which has been seeking to expand its influence on the African continent.
Chad, ruled by Mahamat Idriss Déby, the son of Idriss Déby Itno, who served as president for more than 30 years, is the last Sahel country to host French soldiers.
‘Reduced visibility’
Chad is a landlocked country Central African RepublicSudan, Libya and Niger, all of which have Russian paramilitary forces that were reorganized by the Wagner Group, whose founder Yevgeny Prigozhin Died in a mysterious plane crash last August.
In February this year, Macron appointed former minister Jean-Marie Bockel to develop French Army Co-existence with African partners.
His conclusions are expected in July.
In May, Bockel told the Senate that France wanted to “reduce its visible military presence but maintain logistical, human and material access to these countries, while strengthening our actions to meet their wishes.”
The French military plans to set up a dedicated command for African affairs in Paris this summer, two sources familiar with the matter told AFP.
French armed forces chief of staff General Thierry Burkhard said the French military does not rule out the possibility of “sharing” its bases with the United States or European partners.
Burkhard said the new, tighter structure would allow it to maintain relationships with local military authorities, “gather BroadCast Unitedligence” and “pursue operational partnerships,” among other things.
French soldiers will not conduct combat missions, but will primarily provide training and capabilities to partner nations upon their request.
(AFP)
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