French President Emmanuel Macron and Senegal’s new leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye held crunch talks in Paris on Wednesday, tackling everything from colonial wounds to business disputes and future partnerships.
The meeting at the Élysée came just weeks after France pulled its final troops out of Senegal, closing military bases that had stood for over 60 years. The withdrawal marked the end of France’s permanent military presence in the country, though both governments insist security cooperation will continue through training and joint operations.
One of the most sensitive issues on the table was Thiaroye – the 1944 massacre of Senegalese soldiers by French forces. Dakar has long demanded the full release of military archives and official recognition of the scale of the killings, something seen in Senegal as a vital step towards honesty and balance in Franco-Senegalese ties.
Economic tensions also loomed large, notably a €150 million row over unpaid bills in the Dakar-Diamniadio express project involving French firm Eiffage. Yet Macron and Faye were equally keen to showcase shared priorities in sustainable development, healthcare and education.
Beyond bilateral matters, the two leaders compared notes on regional instability in the Sahel and global trade pressures. Later in the day, Faye was guest of honour at a major gathering of French business leaders, as Paris sought to underline Senegal’s role as a strategic partner for investment in Africa.
The departure of French forces from Dakar – finalised in July with a ceremonial handover of bases – was a symbolic break from the colonial past. The move, accelerated after Faye’s election on a promise to end foreign military presence, reflects a wider French retreat from Africa, with troops also leaving Chad and Côte d’Ivoire this year.
For now, Macron and Faye are trying to walk a fine line: reckoning with a fraught past, cooling economic disputes, and carving out new ground for cooperation in a relationship still under intense scrutiny.
