On a visit to Abidjan in a context of growing protest against France in West Africa, the Minister for the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, praised, on Monday, February 20, the "remarkable efforts made in the rise in power of the apparatus of security in Côte d'Ivoire". "Côte d'Ivoire's army today has nothing to do with that of ten years ago," he added after a meeting with President Alassane Ouattara: " This makes Côte d'Ivoire a country of stability whose role as a regional balancing power is becoming more and more established. »
Mr. Lecornu, whose second visit in seven months to Côte d'Ivoire, also met his Ivorian counterpart, Téné Birahima Ouattara. In addition to the security situation in the region, where several countries are facing jihadist violence and coups, the issues of the predation of raw materials and drug trafficking were addressed, as well as that of the war in Ukraine. .
Côte d'Ivoire is one of France's strongest allies in West Africa. Paris has some 950 soldiers in the French Forces in Côte d'Ivoire (FFCI), a number that could be reduced in the years to come, while responding in a more targeted manner to Ivorian needs. "President Emmanuel Macron asked us to think about the rearticulation of the French presence in Africa", explained Mr. Lecornu, detailing the partnership projects with Côte d'Ivoire: part of the "training" of the Ivorian army and another "more capable" part concerning equipment for the air and ground forces.
Withdrawal from Mali and Burkina
On Sunday, neighboring Burkina Faso announced the official end of the operations of the French "Saber" force on its soil, a few weeks after having denounced the defense agreement binding the two countries. According to the minister's entourage, relations with Ouagadougou are "neutral" and the redeployment of "Sabre" is being done "discreetly". "It would be dishonest to say that this redeployment, in coordination with the Burkinabe authorities, is not going well," the same source continues.
No decision has been officially taken for the time being concerning a possible redeployment in other African countries, and part of these forces should first return to France. This withdrawal follows that of the French forces from Mali, completed in August 2022, at the request of the putschist soldiers in power in this country – as in Burkina Faso. In the entourage of the French minister, it is recognized that the rise of the Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM), affiliated with Al-Qaeda, is "proven", adding that a large part of the Malian territory is beyond the control of the state.
