FRANCE officially transferred control of its only military base in Cote d’Ivoire, the camp of the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (BIMA), to the West African nation’s authorities on Thursday.
During an official ceremony at the military camp’s parade ground, Cote d’Ivoire’s Defence Minister Tene Birahima Ouattara and his French counterpart, Sebastien Lecornu, signed the official handover document.
The ceremony also featured the symbolic raising of the Ivorian flag in place of the French flag, marking the official installation of the Ivorian army at the base, which was renamed Camp Thomas d’Aquin Ouattara in honour of the country’s first army chief of staff.
“This act marks a new step in the friendship and strategic cooperation between our two nations,” stated Ouattara. “The geopolitical changes and current security challenges on the continent should guide our joint willingness to promote shared security for sustainable regional stability.”
— Xinhua
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