ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast announced on Tuesday that French troops will leave the country after a decadeslong military presence, the latest African nation to downscale military ties with its former colonial power.
Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara said the pullout would begin in January 2025. France has had up to 600 troops in Ivory Coast.
“We have decided on the concerted and organized withdrawal of French forces in Ivory Coast,” he said, adding that the military infantry battalion of Port Bouét that is run by the French army will be handed over to Ivorian troops.
Outtara's announcement follows that of other leaders across West Africa, where France’s militaries are being asked to leave. Analysts have described the requests for French troops to leave Africa as part of the wider structural transformation in the region’s engagement with Paris.
France has suffered similar setbacks in several West African countries in recent years, including Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso, where French troops that have been on the ground for many years have been kicked out.
Several West African nations — including coup-hit Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger — have recently asked the French to leave. Among them are also most recently Senegal, and Chad, considered France’s most stable and loyal partner in Africa.
The downscaling of military ties comes as France has been making efforts to revive its waning political and military influence on the continent by devising a new military strategy that would sharply reduce its permanent troop presence in Africa.
France has now been kicked out of more than 70% of African countries where it had a troop presence since ending its colonial rule. The French remain only in Djibouti, with 1,500 soldiers, and Gabon, with 350 troops.
Analysts have described the developments as part of the wider structural transformation in the region’s engagement with Paris amid growing local sentiments against France, especially in coup-hit countries.
After expelling French troops, military leaders of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have moved closer to Russia, which has mercenaries deployed across the Sahel who have been accused of abuses against civilians.
However, the security situation has worsened in those countries, with increasing numbers of extremist attacks and civilian deaths from both armed groups and government forces.
FILE - Ivorian special forces soldiers conduct an urban reconnaissance exercise under the supervision of French special forces during the annual US. Military led counterterrorism training known as Flintlock, near base camp Loumbila, Jacqueville, Ivory Coast, Feb. 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Sylvain Cherkaoui, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Virginia will begin the new year filling state Senate and House vacancies on Tuesday in a trio of special elections that could determine control of the narrowly divided chambers.
In the Washington suburbs of Loudoun County, Democratic state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam’s election to Congress in November has triggered a special election for his seat in state Senate District 32, as well as in state House District 26, where the Democratic incumbent resigned after winning the nomination to fill the state Senate vacancy.
The nominees to replace Subramanyam are Democratic state Del. Kannan Srinivasan and Republican Tumay Harding. Running to replace Srinivasan in the House of Delegates are Democrat JJ Singh and Republican Ram Venkatachalam.
In state Senate District 10 to the west of Richmond, voters will elect a replacement for Republican state Sen. John McGuire, who was elected to Congress. In August, McGuire defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Goode in the Republican primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. The nominees are Republican Luther Cifers and Democrat Jack Trammell.
The state Senate and House seats in Loudoun County are both reliably Democratic. Former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe carried the overlapping districts with more than 60% of the vote in his failed 2021 reelection bid. In presidential elections, President Joe Biden carried Loudoun County with about 62% of the vote in 2020, while Vice President Kamala Harris received about 57% of the vote in 2024. Meanwhile, voters in state Senate District 10 preferred Republicans Donald Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin in previous elections. McGuire ran unopposed for this seat in 2023.
Democrats hold slim majorities in both the state Senate and state House of Delegates. Assuming Republicans hold McGuire’s Senate seat, Democratic losses in either Loudoun County seat could throw control of the state Senate to Republicans or force a power-sharing agreement in the state House of Delegates, where Democrats had reclaimed control after the 2023 elections.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:
Virginia’s state legislative special elections will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in three contests in state Senate Districts 10 and 32 and state House District 26.
Voters registered in state Senate Districts 10 and 32 and state House District 26 may participate in the special election in their district.
As of November, there were about 177,000 registered voters in Senate District 10, 155,000 in Senate District 32 and 58,000 in House District 26. Voters in Virginia do not register by party.
In the last state legislative elections in 2023, turnout was 38% of registered voters in Senate District 10, 42% in Senate District 32 and 40% in House District 26.
In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported results at 7:11 p.m. ET, or 11 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 3:56 a.m. ET with about 95% of total votes counted.
As of Tuesday, there will be 301 days until Virginia’s general elections for governor and state House of Delegates.
FILE - House of Delegates members walk past the south portico at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, April 22, 2020. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool, File)
