Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara announced that the French military base in Abidjan will be returned to the Ivorian government in January. This move aligns with France’s ongoing military restructuring in Africa, following recent withdrawals from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. The base will be renamed after General Ouattara Thomas d’Aquin, the first chief of staff of the Ivorian army, as part of the modernization of the Ivorian military. Approximately 1,000 French troops were present in the region to combat jihadist threats.