The French Embassy in Nairobi has explained the presence of over 800 French Navy soldiers in Kenya.
In a statement on Monday, March 16, the Embassy said the officers are on a naval mission that included a brief stopover in Mombasa.
The Embassy noted that a warship carrying the French soldiers docked at the Port of Mombasa on Friday, March 13, and the stopover is expected to end on Monday.
The French Embassy also said the navy officers are on a five-month mission across the Indian and Pacific oceans.
“A French naval task group – the Jeanne d’Arc operation comprising the Dixmude & Aconit warships – made a stopover at Mombasa from March 13th to 16th as part of a 5-month mission to patrol the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
“Their goal: to ensure freedom of navigation & conclude the training of French and international officer cadets,” the embassy stated.
The French embassy said Kenya was selected as a stopover due to the strong diplomatic and security ties between France and Kenya, particularly in maritime security and international trade across the Indian Ocean.
It added that both countries share common values, including respect for international law, maritime safety and the protection of free trade routes in the region.
The mission also supported regional security efforts under the Operation Atalanta, an EU-led operation aimed at combating piracy and protecting shipping routes in the western Indian Ocean.
France further emphasised the growing defence partnership between the two countries, noting that Nairobi and Paris signed a bilateral defence cooperation agreement last year to enhance joint military training, maritime collaboration and security operations in the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet honoured senior Kenyan military officials for their role in strengthening defence relations between the two nations.
The ambassador awarded Charles Muriu Kahariri the prestigious Legion of Honour, the highest French national order of merit.
Joyce Sitienei, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the Centre for Security and Strategic Studies, on the other hand, received the National Defence Medal at the gold level.
