France is rethinking its military strategy in Africa, with President Emmanuel Macron signalling a bigger role for its base in Djibouti after the country’s withdrawal from the Sahel region.
Macron announced on Friday that the Djibouti base would be “reinvented” as a central hub for French missions on the continent, reflecting a shift in priorities.
Traditionally focused on areas like the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific, the base may soon become more Africa-oriented under the new plans.
The French president described the shift as a necessary adjustment to changing dynamics across Africa, where France is reassessing its partnerships.
“Our role is changing in Africa, but that’s what we wanted because the world is changing in Africa, because public opinion is changing because governments are changing,” he said.
“And because we decided in a sovereign way in February 2023, after several years of gradual change, to rebuild a partnership that is based on partners, respected.”
Macron’s remarks came during a visit to Djibouti, where he joined 1,500 French troops for a Christmas dinner. The airbase, which recently extended its defence agreement with Paris, remains France’s largest military installation abroad.
France’s influence in Africa has taken a hit in recent years, with its forces being removed from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger—countries now governed by military juntas.
The situation has worsened with French troops now starting to leave Chad, signalling a broader decline in France’s footprint across its former African colonies.
Senegal has also called for French forces to leave, while troop levels in Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire are being cut to minimal levels.
