France now has only two permanent military bases left on the African continent—in Djibouti and Gabon—after the Senegalese government said goodbye to its forces early yesterday. This marks the closure of France’s third military base in Senegal and reflects a growing wave of rejections across West Africa, where France has been forced to pull out of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, and Ivory Coast in recent years. The expulsion comes amid rising nationalist sentiment and public anger over France’s longstanding military and political influence in its former colonies, often viewed as neocolonial interference. In Senegal, the decision was announced earlier this year, but the formal farewell took place yesterday, with a full withdrawal of troops expected by September 2025. France once maintained over a dozen military installations across Africa, often under the banner of counterterrorism, but a combination of political shifts, protests, and military takeovers in the region has accelerated the decline of its presence. The loss of strategic positions like Senegal not only weakens France’s projection of power in West Africa but also signals a broader realignment as African nations assert more control over their security and foreign partnerships.