The French embassy has clarified the arrival of over 800 French military personnel at Mombasa port on March 13. The stopover from March 13 to 16 is part of the five-month Jeanne d'Arc operation. The aim is to ensure freedom of navigation and complete training for officer cadets.
On Friday, March 13, over 800 French military personnel docked at Mombasa port, sparking public questions about their purpose. The French embassy issued a statement on Monday, March 16, explaining that a French naval task group—the Jeanne d'Arc operation involving the Dixmude and Aconit warships—stopped in Mombasa from March 13 to 16 as part of a five-month patrol of 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 13 to March 16 as part of a five-month mission to patrol the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Their goal is to ensure freedom of navigation & conclude the training of French and international officer cadets,” the embassy stated. The visit also aimed at strategic cooperation and maritime security, supporting the European Union's Atalanta mission against piracy. Kenya and France signed a bilateral defence agreement in October 2025, covering training, joint exercises, intelligence sharing, and officer exchanges with Kenyan forces. Ambassador Arnaud Suquet said the deployment is part of broader security collaboration between Nairobi and Paris to strengthen defence ties and stability in the Indian Ocean region. The clarification came amid concerns over the military presence, linked to rising Middle East tensions where France has boosted its defensive operations.
