On December 31, 2024, local time, the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Ouattara, proposed in his New Year's address to the nation that French troops should orderly withdraw from the country. According to Ouattara, the withdrawal of French troops should begin in January 2025. In his address, he mentioned the Bouaké military base where French troops are stationed, requesting that the French military 'hand over' this base to the Ivorian military starting in January 2025, and that it be renamed after a military leader from the early days of Côte d'Ivoire's independence. In recent years, France has withdrawn its troops from several African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad. (CCTV News)