Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced on Tuesday that French forces would be withdrawing from the country.
In his end-of-year address to the nation, Ouattara emphasized the progress made by the country’s military, stating, “Ivorians should be proud of the modernized state of our armed forces. In this context, we have decided on the coordinated and organized withdrawal of French forces.”
Reports suggest that France has been considering a significant reduction in its military presence across West and Central Africa, scaling down from 2,200 troops to around 600.
This decision follows France’s recent withdrawal from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger amid military coups and rising anti-French sentiment in the region. Similarly, Chad, a key Western ally in the fight against Islamic militants, terminated its defense cooperation agreement with France in November.