4. The same is true of France's military presence in its former colonies. Macron made his announcement during a visit to Côte d'Ivoire, where he came to celebrate Christmas (ahead of schedule) with French troops stationed at a permanent military base in Abidjan. France has owned this base since the colonial period. It has never dismantled it and has even reinforced it since 2011.

Fanny Pigeaud_ Ndongo Samba Sylla, Africa's Last Colonial Curr…, loc. 718