As France prepares to hand over its military base in Port-Bouët to the Ivorian army by the end of January, local shopkeepers are worried about how the departure of French soldiers will hurt their livelihoods.
Cote d'Ivoire this week announced the withdrawal of French troops from the 43rd marine infantry battalion camp (BIMA) in Port-Bouët by the end of January as part of shift towards strengthening its own military forces.
“We can be proud of our army, whose modernisation is now complete,” President Alassane Ouattara said in his New Year address to the nation. “We have therefore decided on the coordinated and organised withdrawal of French forces.”
Around 500 of the original 900 French forces are still stationed in Port-Bouët – a 10km-long coastline suburb of Abidjan that houses the international airport and autonomous port.
For the 150 shopkeepers around the 43rd BIMA craft village near the base, the withdrawal of French troops has been met with dismay. Many rely on the soldiers as their primary customers.
"When the president made the announcement, I was with my wife and I told her 'we're dead'," a man by the name of Gaucher, who sells souvenirs, told RFI. "2025 is off to a very bad start for us."
Life goes on
The craft village includes dressmakers, bicycle repairers, market gardeners, hairdressers and restaurant owners who have already seen customer numbers fall.
Restaurant owner Nadia, who also heads the shopkeepers’ association, said she is considering leaving the area.
“The clientele won’t be the same. It’ll be more difficult to sell stuff because there won’t be many people buying,” she told RFI. “Staying is going to be complicated, and without customers, it’s going to be even harder.”
Some, like Kébé, are more philosophical about the changes. A long-time resident of the area, he has seen plenty of ups and downs over the past 35 years.
"We're bowing to the president's decision," he says. "As the old saying goes, there was life before BIMA, and life will go on after BIMA too."
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This article was adapted from the original version in French.
