STORY: France hands over only military base to Cote d'Ivoire
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 20, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 21, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:33
LOCATION: ABIDJAN, Cote d'Ivoire
CATEGORY: MILITARY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the handover ceremony
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): TENE BIRAHIMA OUATTARA, Cote d'Ivoire's Defense Minister
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): SEBASTIEN LECORNU, French Minister of Armed Forces
4. various of the ceremony

STORYLINE:

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 Defense 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 honor 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."

SOUNDBITE 1 (French): TENE BIRAHIMA OUATTARA, Cote d'Ivoire's Defense Minister
"I thank our French partners who have consistently supported the capacity-building of our forces through equipment donations, military officer training, and troop exercises. The successful transformation of Franco-Ivorian military cooperation reflects our shared commitment to addressing security challenges as equal partners."
   
Ouattara thanked France for "the support and trust shown in the process of strengthening the capabilities of the Ivorian armed forces."
   
He reiterated Cote d'Ivoire's commitment to continuing this "strategic" cooperation, indicating that the handover stems from the "political will" of both nations' leaders and is the result of "extensive consultations."
   
The handover, announced on Dec. 31 last year by Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara, is a result of a process initiated two years ago and part of France's broader efforts to reshape its military presence in Africa. In recent years, France has faced growing resistance to its military deployments, leading to forced withdrawals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Chad.

SOUNDBITE 2 (French): SEBASTIEN LECORNU, French Minister of Armed Forces
"We are not here to dwell on the past. On the contrary, we are moving forward with confidence and strategic intimacy - a unique bond between our two armies and peoples. This bond allows us to navigate today's complex world, including Africa's challenges, with resolve. Everything we did this morning is about accelerating action without wasting a minute, looking to the future to reach the horizon we are called to achieve."
   
The 43rd BIMA has been stationed in Cote d'Ivoire since 1978 under a defense agreement signed a year after the country's independence in 1960.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
(XHTV)