The African Frexit: How France Lost Its Military Bases Across Africa (2022-2025)

The African Frexit: How France Lost Its Military Bases Across Africa (2022-2025)

On January 30, 2025, the French flag came down at the Kossei military base in N'Djamena, Chad.

No ceremony. Just a signed handover document.

With that quiet act, France's 60-year military presence in Chad ended—and with it, France's last foothold in the Sahel region.

The media has dubbed it the "African Frexit": a wave of expulsions that has seen French troops forced out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Senegal, and Côte d'Ivoire in just three years.

In 1970, France had 20,000 troops stationed across Africa. By the end of 2025, it will have fewer than 2,000—limited to Djibouti and Gabon.

The permanent occupation is ending.

The Complete Timeline: France's Military Withdrawal (2022-2025)

What Remains:

How France Built Its Military Empire in Africa

France's military presence in Africa began before independence—and was designed to outlast it.

The Original Architecture (1960s):

When French colonies gained independence around 1960, France signed defense agreements with nearly every new nation. These agreements allowed France to:

• Station troops permanently on African soil

• Intervene militarily to "maintain order"

• Train and equip African armies

• Protect French citizens and business interests

By 1970, 20,000 French troops were stationed across the continent.

What These Bases Really Did:

The official justification was always security cooperation and counterterrorism. The reality was more complex:

Regime Protection:

French troops intervened repeatedly to keep friendly governments in power. Between 1960 and 2020, France conducted over 50 military interventions in Africa—more than any other foreign power.

Coup Prevention (Selective):

France protected leaders who maintained French economic interests. Leaders who challenged French interests faced different treatment.

Resource Security:

French bases were strategically located near uranium mines (Niger), oil fields (Gabon, Chad), and key ports. The military presence protected French corporate access.

Intelligence Gathering:

Bases served as listening stations and intelligence hubs for monitoring the region.

Operation Barkhane: The Beginning of the End

In 2012, Islamist militants affiliated with Al-Qaeda seized northern Mali. France launched Operation Serval to push them back—initially hailed as a success.

But the militants didn't disappear. They spread to Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. In 2014, France expanded to Operation Barkhane: 5,000 troops across five Sahel countries.

The Problem:

After a decade of French military presence:

• Militant attacks increased, not decreased

• Territory controlled by armed groups expanded

• Civilian casualties mounted

• Over 5,000 people died in the Sahel in the first half of 2024 alone

• Millions remained displaced

Africans began asking: What exactly is France protecting us from—and why isn't it working?

The Turning Point:

Anger at ineffective French intervention fueled a wave of military coups:

The new military governments shared one thing in common: they wanted France out.

Country by Country: The Expulsions

Mali: Where It Started (2022)

Mali's military junta, led by Colonel Assimi Goïta, demanded French withdrawal in March 2022.

President Macron insisted on an "orderly" departure over 4-6 months. France completed its withdrawal on August 15, 2022, ending nearly a decade of intervention.

Mali immediately pivoted to Russia. Wagner Group mercenaries (later reorganized as Africa Corps) arrived to replace French forces.

Burkina Faso: One Month Notice (2023)

Captain Ibrahim Traoré seized power in September 2022 at age 34—the world's youngest head of state.

In January 2023, Burkina Faso gave France one month to leave. By February, French special forces were gone.

Traoré explicitly invoked Thomas Sankara's legacy, calling for true independence from France.

Niger: The Domino Falls (2023)

Niger's July 2023 coup was particularly significant—President Mohamed Bazoum had been France's closest remaining ally in the Sahel.

The junta suspended military cooperation with France immediately. By December 2023, the last French soldiers left.

In September 2023, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)—a military and economic pact explicitly designed as an alternative to French-influenced regional structures.

On January 29, 2025, the three countries officially left ECOWAS.

Chad: The Surprise (2024-2025)

Chad's withdrawal shocked observers. Unlike the Sahel coup states, Chad's leader Mahamat Idriss Déby came to power through succession (his father died fighting rebels in 2021) and had maintained relatively warm ties with France.

But on November 28, 2024, Chad announced it was terminating its defense agreement with France.

Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah explained: France "must now also consider that Chad has grown up, matured and is a sovereign state that is very jealous of its sovereignty."

President Déby called the agreement "obsolete" and lacking "real added value."

The withdrawal was completed on January 30, 2025—one day ahead of the deadline Chad had set.

Côte d'Ivoire: The Loyal Ally Turns (2025)

This was the most surprising of all.

President Alassane Ouattara had been France's most reliable partner in West Africa. In 2011, French forces helped him take power by bombarding incumbent President Laurent Gbagbo's residence.

Yet on December 31, 2024, Ouattara announced French troops would leave.

"We can be proud of our army, whose modernization is now effective," he said. "It is in this context that we have decided on the concerted and organized withdrawal of French forces."

On February 20, 2025, France formally vacated the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion base in Port-Bouet. French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu attended the decommissioning ceremony.

Senegal: The Final Departure (2025)

In November 2024, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye confirmed: "There will soon be no more French soldiers in Senegal."

Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko had been pushing for withdrawal, questioning why a sovereign nation needed foreign troops on its soil.

The announcement came as Senegal marked 80 years since a colonial-era massacre—when French troops killed dozens of West African soldiers angry at their treatment after fighting for France in World War II.

On July 18, 2025, France will hand over its last military sites in Senegal: the airport base and Camp Geille in Ouakam.

Why Is This Happening Now?

1. Failed Counterterrorism

A decade of French military presence didn't defeat the militants—it may have made things worse. Africans concluded that French forces were either incompetent or not actually trying to solve the problem.

2. Generational Change

Young Africans, connected through social media, are more aware of colonial history and more willing to reject neo-colonial arrangements. The protests against France feature young people who see no reason to accept what their grandparents tolerated.

3. Alternatives Exist

Russia offers military cooperation without the colonial baggage (and without governance conditions). China offers infrastructure investment. The Gulf states offer financing.

France is no longer the only option.

4. The Macron Effect

President Macron's comments inflamed anti-French sentiment. In 2023, he said African countries had "forgotten to say thank you" for French counterterrorism efforts.

Prime Minister Sonko of Senegal responded publicly, rejecting the idea that Africans owed France gratitude.

5. Economic Frustration

Despite decades of French "partnership," former French colonies remain among the poorest countries on Earth. The CFA franc, French corporate dominance, and extractive economic relationships have delivered little development.

Military presence became a symbol of a system that wasn't working.

The Russia Factor

As France withdraws, Russia advances.

Is Russia Better?

The jury is out. Russian mercenaries have been accused of human rights abuses in Mali and CAR. They're not providing the security solutions France couldn't deliver.

But African leaders see advantages:

• No colonial history

• No governance conditions

• No lectures about democracy

• Willing to support governments the West opposes

As one analyst noted: African countries aren't choosing Russia because Russia is good. They're choosing Russia because they can—because they finally have options.

France's Response: "Restructuring"

In November 2024, special envoy Jean-Marie Bockel submitted a report to President Macron recommending a "renewed" and "rebuilt" partnership with Africa.

The plan:

• Significant troop reductions across all remaining bases

• Maintain only "liaison detachments" rather than combat forces

• Adapt military cooperation to African countries' stated needs

• Focus on Djibouti as the main hub for future African operations

Macron acknowledged the shift during a December 2024 visit to Djibouti:

"Our role in Africa is evolving because the world in Africa is evolving—public opinion is changing, and governments are changing."

What France Retains:

Djibouti: 1,500 troops at France's largest overseas base. Strategic location at the entrance to the Red Sea. Being developed as the launching pad for any future African missions.

Gabon: ~350 troops, but being reduced. Gabon's 2023 coup created uncertainty about the relationship's future.

Réunion/Mayotte: French overseas territories in the Indian Ocean with military installations.

What This Means for Africa

The Optimistic View:

• Africans are asserting sovereignty for the first time since independence

• The rejection of French military presence could extend to economic arrangements

• Regional organizations (like the AES) could provide African-led security solutions

• Breaking military dependency is the first step toward breaking economic dependency

The Cautionary View:

• Replacing France with Russia doesn't equal independence

• The security situation in the Sahel is worsening, not improving

• African militaries may not be ready to handle threats alone

• Coups and military governments bring their own problems

The Reality:

Both can be true. African countries are asserting agency—that's real. Whether that agency leads to better outcomes depends on what comes next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many French military bases were in Africa?

At its peak, France maintained bases in over a dozen African countries with 20,000 troops (1970). By 2022, this had reduced to about 6,000 troops. By end of 2025, France will have fewer than 2,000 troops in Africa, primarily in Djibouti.

Why is France leaving Africa?

France isn't choosing to leave—it's being expelled. Military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger brought anti-French governments to power. Even allied governments in Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal have now asked French forces to leave amid rising anti-French sentiment.

What is the Alliance of Sahel States (AES)?

The AES is a military and economic confederation formed by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger in September 2023. These three countries left ECOWAS in January 2025 and are building alternative regional structures independent of French influence.

Is Russia replacing France in Africa?

Partially. Russian mercenaries (Wagner Group/Africa Corps) have deployed to Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, and potentially other countries. Russia offers military cooperation without colonial baggage or governance conditions. However, Russian forces have their own controversial record.

What is Operation Barkhane?

Operation Barkhane was France's major counterterrorism operation in the Sahel from 2014-2022, involving up to 5,000 troops across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania. Despite a decade of operations, militant violence increased, contributing to the backlash against French presence.

Which African countries still have French troops?

As of late 2025, only Djibouti (~1,500 troops) and Gabon (~350 troops, being reduced) host significant French military presence. Senegal's withdrawal will be complete by July 2025.

The Bigger Picture

For 60 years, French military bases were the ultimate symbol of incomplete independence. African presidents could be elected, but French troops remained. African flags flew, but French soldiers patrolled.

That era is ending.

The "African Frexit" isn't just about military bases. It's about a generation of Africans who refuse to accept the arrangements their grandparents were forced into.

Whether what comes next is better—that's still being written.

But one thing is clear: Africa is no longer asking France for permission.