France to Transfer Control of Its Sole Military Base in Ivory Coast
France will turn over its sole military facility in Ivory Coast, a former West African star colony, in a few days, and both parties claim the build-up is going well and amicably.
After coups and instability erupted in the once-stable country after 2000, the 230-hectare (570-acre) Port-Bouet military camp, which has been a staple of Ivory Coast’s existence for decades, helped stabilise the world’s leading cocoa exporter.
In December, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara announced the withdrawal of French troops, which is a part of a regional trend in which African nations are weakening their military ties with FranceThe flags of both nations are still flying at the base’s gate, despite the watchtowers being repainted in Ivory Coast’s national colours of orange, white, and green.
On February 20, the camp of the 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion will be renamed Camp Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara in honour of the first chief of staff of the Ivorian army, whose photo will be displayed on the command post’s exterior.
About 100 Ivorian paratroopers have been stationed at Port-Bouët for a few weeks. The commander of the parachute regiment, Captain Ange Yoboue Kouame, stated, “We conduct team-building exercises and combat training with our French partners every day.””Cohabitation is excellent.” French Chief Warrant Officer Frederic was overseeing one of the Ivorian army’s initial drills at the shooting range.
Together with two professors, our only purpose is to counsel and assist them. They’ll be using the stand independently after that,” he stated.
Following the forced withdrawal of French forces from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military-led regimes hostile to Paris have taken control, France is re-establishing military ties with African countries.
The deployment of over 1,000 French soldiers at Port-Bouet aided in the battle against jihadists, who frequently target the surrounding areaA French colonel remarked, “We have been searching for a topic on which we would have disagreed with the Ivorians for eighteen months.”
Speaking of “a common military history that facilitates exchanges,” an Ivorian officer stated, “There can be a concerted approach… unlike the confrontational approach observed elsewhere.”
“The two nations’ mature relationship is at a turning point in history. The French defence attaché in Abidjan, Colonel Damien Mireval, stated, “We are not in a crisis at all; this handover is a necessary evolution that our presidents have requested.”
The two forces have been connected since 1961, when they signed a military pact upon independence.
France established the Licorne (Unicorn) force in 2002 to safeguard French citizens and attempt to stabilise the nation following a coup attempt against then-president Laurent Gbagbo and the rebel seizure of a portion of the country.
Following several months of post-election turmoil, this force and the UN bombed Gbagbo’s home in April 2011.
The mission concluded in 2015. About 100 French soldiers are anticipated to stay for training and support tasks, but the French pullout will happen gradually during 2025.
A military academy for information and communication systems was established on the site at the start of January. There, a dozen lieutenants from seven French-speaking African nations are now training.
