Ivory Coast to continue cooperating with France on military level: Ivorian defense chief

By Nur Asena Erturk

Ivory Coast, a former French colony, will continue cooperating with France on the military level, the Ivorian defense minister said Tuesday.

France will hand over its sole military base in the West African country to the Ivorian army on Feb. 20 in an official ceremony with the attendance of French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

“We agreed upon a new partnership (with France),” Ivorian Defense Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara told French broadcaster RFI.

“The military cooperation continues with France. There is no rupture in reality,” the minister added. He stressed that the move was part of France’s desire to “restructure its presence in Africa.”

The Port-Bouet military camp, officially the 43rd BIMA marine infantry battalion's camp located near the former capital of Abidjan, will be renamed after the Ivorian army's first chief of staff, Thomas d'Aquin Ouattara.

France's military presence in Africa has been steadily declining in recent years as several nations, including Chad, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, pushed out its forces.

French troops currently remain in Djibouti and Gabon, two countries that have not signaled changes to agreements with Paris on military presence.