Senegal: Why Ivory Coast, Senegal Asked French Troops to Leave

London — In a major shift in West Africa’s security landscape, Ivory Coast and Senegal, regional economic powerhouses, have ordered France to remove its troops from their territories.

The withdrawals will mark the effective end of a decadeslong military presence by France in Senegal and Ivory Coast. But why is this happening?

Geoffroy Julien Kouao, an Ivorian political scientist, explained that it is part of a broader strategy by African nations wanting to forge new partnerships.

“I think that…