President of Senegal,Basserou Faye, announced on Saturday his intention to calmly explore the issue of French military presence in his country without sudden rupture, during a press conference.

The relationship with France and the fate of its bases were pivotal in Senegal’s presidential election agenda, where Sall affirmed his commitment to breaking away from the old regime without specifying a potential timeline for closing French bases.

In response to a journalist’s question, he clarified, “I cannot specify the timing for this because adjustments between nations must be discussed calmly and amicably… I do not believe we need any sudden rupture with any partner today.

France currently maintains several military bases in Dakar and began reducing its presence in 2023, aiming to retain only about a hundred soldiers in Senegal, down from the current 350.