Two of the five French army bases in Senegal were officially handed over to the local authorities on Friday. It's the first step towards a complete withdrawal of French military presence in the country.
The military sites of Maréchal and Saint-Exupéry, not far from the port of Dakar, were officially returned to Senegalese authorities.
The French military said these two sites had been empty for a year and had already been earmarked to be handed back to Senegal.
According to RFI's correspondent, there was no ceremony, just the signing of a document to mark the transfer.
Since his election last April, Senegal's President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye has made it clear that he wants to reshape his country's relationships with the outside world.
He told several French media last November that "There will soon be no more French soldiers in Senegal".
Transform the nation
This was echoed in the first major policy speech to parliament made by Senegalese Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in December.
He promised sweeping changes to transform the nation, including the closure of foreign military bases.
The three remaining French military bases are set to be closed and handed back with a timetable yet to be drawn up.
A little over 200 soldiers and their families reside at Camp Geille, the largest of the five military bases, located in the city centre of Ouakam. 20 others are at the Rufisque base in the suburbs of Dakar.
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In January, France's head of the Africa command General Pascal Ianni paid a visit to Senegalese Chief of Staff, General Mbaye Cissé to discuss arrangements.
Military sources at the time told RFI that September appears to be a logical deadline for the closure for the remaining bases.
"The transfer movements within the army usually take place in the summer, for family and logistical reasons," a French military source said.
A decision will also need to be taken concerning the future of the Falcon 50, a French army plane parked at Dakar airport.
France has signalled that it would like to see it stay in Senegal for surveillance missions on fishing and drug trafficking, among other things.
Fears for local employment
In the meantime, the announcement of the closure of the remaining military bases has created concern with regards to local employment.
The French military bases in Dakar and its surrounding areas directly employ 162 personnel, and employ between 400 and 500 people in total through subcontractors.
Employees are mainly asking for severance pay in order to bounce back and are still negotiating with their French employer.
To allay fears, the French army organised a career advice day on Thursday to help workers find new jobs in sectors such as construction, logistics, cooking and accounting.
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"We are thinking especially of the young people," electrician Souleymane Touré told RFI.
He says he doesn't expect much from this day since 60 percent of the workforce is over 50 years old, "and that it is already difficult for young people to find a job in Senegal."
Brigadier General Yves Aunis told French news agency AFP in January that as an employer, the French state was "very aware of the human stakes and the impacts on Senegalese families, that it would (comply) with Senegalese labor law, but that the starting conditions should be good".
Senegal and France have historically maintained strong political and economic relations, despite France's long colonial rule over Senegal, which lasted until 1960.
