France pivots to Nigeria: Military base disguised as language school
France, after losing military bases in Africa, has gained the approval of Nigeria's president to establish a base in Abuja under the guise of a language academy.
Following the loss of military bases in several African countries, France secured approval from the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, to set up a military base in the capital, Abuja. This information was reported by the Nigerian portal Huhuonline, citing three independent sources. The base is set to operate under the pretence of being a language academy, where Nigerian soldiers will learn French.
According to sources, President Tinubu gave in to pressure from the French President, Emmanuel Macron, during a visit to Paris at the beginning of April. Tinubu fears opposition from the National Assembly, but intends to push through his decision. Last year, France denied any plans to establish a base in Nigeria, despite reports of potential locations, such as Maiduguri, reported by the Polish Press Agency.
The planned language academy is to serve as the main facility of the new French African Command (CDT Africa), created by the French Ministry of Defence last April. Brigadier General Pascal Ianni is leading CDT Africa. The academy does not raise suspicion because the Nigerian authorities have long promoted the learning of French, which is spoken in neighbouring countries: Benin, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
During parliamentary questioning, the French Army Chief of Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, emphasized that reducing military presence in Africa would weaken France’s intelligence-gathering capabilities. He suggested increasing the number of civilian representatives in the military to make their presence less conspicuous, given the growing hostility of former colonies towards French soldiers.
France has withdrawn its troops from four former colonies: Niger, Mali, the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, and Chad. It has also decreased its presence in Gabon and Ivory Coast.
