Senegal says it’s closing ‘all foreign military bases,’ a move aimed at French troops in the country

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1. Submission Statement :Paris has said earlier that France aims to sharply reduce its presence at all its bases in Africa except Djibouti, including the 350 French troops who are in Senegal. It has said that it may instead provide defense training or targeted military support, based on needs expressed by those countries, according to the officials.

   Senegal’s new government, which has been in power for less than a year, has taken a hard-line stance on the presence of French troops as part of a larger regional backlash against what many see as the legacy of an oppressive colonial empire.

2. decolonization is a good thing!

3. For those less familiar with the geopolitics: This isn’t necessarily a win for Senegal. Security is expensive, and typically smaller less developed countries find themselves dependent on larger powers for security, which comes with trade-offs.

   If the French get kicked out, the Russians could be invited next, and without any other large power providing security, it could leave a power vacuum big enough for extremist elements to move in since Senegal might not possess sufficient security capabilities on its own.

4. Good.

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