The presence of French military bases is incompatible with sovereignty, Senegal's President Bassirou Diomaye Faye told a Western news outlet.
"Senegal is an independent country; it is a sovereign country, and sovereignty does not accept the presence of military bases in a sovereign country," Faye said.
However, he noted, the decision will not influence the relations with France negatively. The president gave example of China, which is an important trading partner of Senegal and which doesn’t have any bases in the African country.
"France remains an important partner for Senegal for the investment for Senegal and the presence of French companies and even French citizens who are in Senegal," Faye underscored.