France has officially handed over the Contre-Amiral Protet military district, a strategically located base within the Port of Dakar, to Senegalese authorities, marking a significant step in the phased withdrawal of French forces from the country. The transfer, confirmed by the French Embassy in Senegal, is part of a bilateral agreement reached during a joint Franco-Senegalese commission on February 28, co-chaired by Senegal’s General Abdou Latif Kamara, French Ambassador Christine Fages, and French Forces Commander General Yves Aunis.
This latest handover follows the March 7 return of the Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry districts, both located near Hann Park in Dakar. According to the joint withdrawal roadmap, three remaining French military installations will be transferred to Senegal by September 2025. The Contre-Amiral Protet base has historically served as a critical logistics and operational hub for France’s military presence in West Africa, reflecting Dakar’s strategic importance to regional defense and maritime coordination.
The withdrawal reflects broader shifts in France’s military footprint in Africa, following a series of similar drawdowns in countries like Mali and Burkina Faso amid evolving regional dynamics and rising nationalism.
