Abidjan, Dec 31 – French military forces will withdraw from Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara announced on Tuesday during his end-of-year address, signaling another reduction in France’s military presence in West Africa.
Ouattara stated that the decision was made in recognition of the improved capabilities and modernization of Ivory Coast’s armed forces. “We have decided on the coordinated and organized withdrawal of French forces,” he said.
France has been scaling back its military operations in the region, with troop numbers in West and Central Africa expected to decline from 2,200 to 600, according to sources in November. The withdrawal follows earlier pullouts from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, amid rising anti-French sentiment and political upheavals.
