Tag: France
Top EU diplomat condemns rape as a weapon of war
The new European Union (EU) foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, used the December European Parliament plenary to deliver a scathing attack on those using...
South Africa receiving a growing number of visiting foreign naval vessels
After several quiet years during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, naval visitors to South Africa are increasing in numbers, with military vessels from...
Chad’s break with France: why it happened and what it means...
For over six decades, Chad was a crucial ally to French and US forces in their counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel. But both lost...
Exercise Crocodile Lift underway in Nigeria
The Nigerian Navy has kicked off the 2024 edition of Exercise Crocodile Lift, held in conjunction with the French Navy, which has brought a...
CMN proceeding with work on Angolan BR71 Mk II corvettes
French shipyard Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) has completed the hull of the first BR71 Mk II corvette for the Angolan Navy, with the...
France’s Ocea delivers another survey vessel to the Nigerian Navy
French shipbuilder Ocea has delivered an OSV 115 hydrographic survey vessel to the Nigerian Navy (NN), three years after the order for the ship...
Ethiopia looks to France for naval development amidst diplomatic tensions
Ethiopia, a landlocked country, is seeking France’s help to develop its naval force. The evolving situation in the Red Sea has spurred Ethiopia to...
Third and final OPV 58S offshore patrol vessel delivered to Senegal
French shipyard Pirou has delivered the offshore patrol vessel (OPV) Cayor to Senegal’s Navy, marking the end of the construction programme for the West...
Big cocaine busts off African coast for French Navy
The French Navy has seized over ten tons of cocaine in two operations off the west coast of Africa, in line with an increase...
Safran and Afrimeasure strengthen ties with sensor production and maintenance
French defence company Safran Electronics & Defence is forging closer ties with Afrimeasure, which specialises in electro-optical equipment.
To this end, a number of Safran...
Scramble for the Sahel – why France, Russia, China and the...
The Sahel, a region 3,860km wide located south of the Sahara Desert and stretching east-west across the African continent, has been a focus of...
French Navy ship Jacques Chevalier on maiden visit to South Africa
The latest ships to enter service with the French Navy, or in French, Marine Nationale, is the logistic supply ship FS Jacques Chevalier (A725),...
French Navy warship Mistral in Nigeria for maritime exercises
The French Navy’s amphibious assault ship Mistral is in Nigeria for the combined exercises Crocodile Lift and Grand African Nemo, which started on Monday.
The...
France’s decision to leave Niger was a bad move: three reasons...
After about two months of wrangling between France and the new military regime in Niger, President Emmanuel Macron finally decided, on 24 September, to...
French frigate seizes 2.4 tonnes of cocaine off West African coast
The French Navy frigate Ventose has seized 2.4 tons of cocaine on a fishing boat off the coast of West Africa.
The operation took place...
Angola receives first tank landing craft from CMN; inaugurates refurbished Soyo...
The Angolan Navy has taken delivery of the first of two new tank landing craft built by France’s CMN, five months after launch in...
Gabon’s Garde Republicaine receives four AML-90 armoured vehicles from France
Gabon has expanded the fleet of its Garde Republicaine with four AML-90 armoured reconnaissance vehicles from France, maintaining the unit’s reputation as the best...
SA, France sign anti-cyber crime agreement
South Africa and France have entered into a cooperation protocol agreement to improve the Special Investigating Unit’s cyber forensic capabilities.
The agreement is expected to...
France’s CMN launches first tank landing craft for Angola
French shipyard CMN (Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie) has launched the first of two tank landing craft (LCTs) for the Angolan Navy.
The first vessel (ND15)...
France provides VAB armoured vehicles to Benin
France has delivered a first batch of VAB armoured vehicles to the Beninese Armed Forces, which will use them for counter-terrorism and other security...
French sailor rescued by Russian Navy arrives in Cape Town
A French national rescued in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean by a Russian Navy tanker heading for Exercise Mosi II with South Africa,...
French warship to visit Durban this week
French Navy (Marine Nationale) surveillance frigate Le Nivose (F732) will arrive in the port of Durban on Tuesday 31 January, ahead of her regular...
Cocaine shipment worth over 150 million euros seized in Gulf of...
The French Navy has seized nearly 5 tons of cocaine from a Brazilian vessel in the Gulf of Guinea. The shipment was destined for...
CMN delivers Ocean Eagle patrol boat to Angola
French shipyard Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie (CMN) has delivered an Ocean Eagle 43 trimaran patrol boat to the Angolan Navy, some years after supplying...
Franco-South African maritime exercise underway
The biennial maritime Exercise Oxide between South Africa and France commenced on Thursday 17 November with the arrival of Reunion-based French patrol ship Le...
France donates two Gazelle helicopters to Niger
France’s ambassador to Niger has handed over two Gazelle helicopters to the Nigerien Air Force to support counter-terrorism operations, following on from an earlier...
India and France conducting joint surveillance mission in Mozambique Channel
India and France have teamed up to carry out a joint maritime surveillance mission in the Mozambique Channel using P-8I and Falcon 50 aircraft.
The...
Exercise Grand African Nemo held off West Africa
The multinational maritime exercise Grand African Nemo 2022 that was held off the coast of West Africa last week involved 27 local and foreign...
Ex Oxide 2022 will be west coast based
With COVID-19 no longer deemed a danger, it’s full steam ahead for Exercise Oxide, which is set down for 14 to 30 November.
The joint...
Morocco receives VL MICA missiles, Sherpa vehicles from France
Morocco’s armed forces are taking delivery of Sherpa armoured vehicles and VL MICA air defence systems from France following contracts signed some two years...
Planning on track for Exercise Oxide 2022
SA Navy (SAN) fleet headquarters in Simon’s Town next week welcomes a three officer French Armed Forces delegation for an Exercise Oxide mid-term planning...
Port call of the French Mission Jeanne d’Arc in Cape Town
French task force ‘Jeanne d'Arc’ 2022, a five-month operational deployment of a two-vessel Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), arrived in Cape Town on the morning...
Piriou launches first OPV 58S for Senegal
French shipyard Piriou has launched the first OPV 58S offshore patrol vessel for Senegal’s Navy, the Walo.
The vessel was floated out at Piriou’s facilities...
Three likely changes in Mali after France withdraws – and two...
Eight years have passed since the French military launched its operations in Mali at the request of Mali’s then interim government.
Mali, at the time,...
ISS: Lessons must be learnt before Barkhane marches into new territory
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the withdrawal of Barkhane and Takuba forces from Mali, but expressed commitment to ‘continue … joint action against terrorism...
Second Senegalese OPV 58S floated out
French shipyard Piriou has floated out the second OPV 58S offshore patrol vessel (OPV) for Senegal’s Navy, and is now fitting it out.
The vessel...
French Rafales visit Reunion
Two French Air Force Rafale fighters have visited Reunion as part of a force projection exercise, along with an MRTT tanker.
The two Rafale F3Rs...
French OPV in Durban
A French Navy (Marine Nationale) offshore patrol vessel (OPV) is currently alongside in the Port of Durban as part of a three month southern...
France’s CMN constructing landing craft for African client
French shipyard CMN (Constructions Mecaniques de Normandie) has started the manufacture of two landing craft tank (LCT) vessels for an undisclosed African country.
As reported...
Cementing ties with France, UAE places $19 billion order for warplanes,...
The United Arab Emirates ordered 80 Rafale fighter jets and 12 military helicopters on Friday, deepening economic and political ties with France through an...
France expands sea monitoring as migrants vow to pursue UK dream
France pledged on Thursday to step up surveillance of its northern shores, but migrants huddling in makeshift camps said neither that nor a tragic...
Paris investigates leak purporting to show Egypt misused French intelligence
France's armed forces minister called for an investigation on Monday after a report that secret French intelligence intended to track jihadist militants had been...
France asks Burkina to help resolve issues with military convoy
France has asked the president of Burkina Faso to intervene after a convoy of French troops was stopped en route to Niger on Friday...
US Air Force Bomber Task Force conducts mission over Djibouti
Two US Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers from the 9th Bomb Wing, Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, flew a Bomber Task Force mission alongside...
Maritime exercise Grand African Nemo underway in Gulf of Guinea
The French led exercise Grand African Nemo 2021 has kicked off in the Gulf of Guinea, with participation by 19 local and ten international...
Mali junta wiping its feet on blood of French soldiers, says...
France's Armed Forces minister defended her country's counterterrorism role in Mali and accused the military junta of hypocrisy, bad faith and wanting to delay...
French Navy frigate seizes $5.2 million worth of narcotics
French Marine Nationale frigate FS Languedoc, operating in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), seized more than 1 600 kg of illegal drugs...
Mali says it can seek military help from anyone, despite French...
Mali has the right to seek military support from whoever it wants, the prime minister said, after France and other foreign powers expressed alarm...
After killing Sahel Islamic State leader, France to hunt other chiefs
French military forces have killed the leader of a West African affiliate of Islamic State by drone strike in a "decisive blow" against the...
France to reshape troop presence in Sahel within weeks
France will soon begin reshaping its military presence in the Sahel region of West Africa, where it has been on the front line of...
