A long-standing partner, Djibouti is a reliable and responsive support point for French units. This 10th stopover of the carrier strike group (GAN) is part of the renewal of the defense cooperation treaty in 2024 and the treaty of friendship and cooperation ratified in 1977, which binds France and Djibouti and aims to develop bilateral military cooperation between these two countries residing in the Indian Ocean.
Throughout this operational break, visits took place on board the GAN vessels, including the arrival on April 1st , on the aircraft carrier during a first VIP Day, of the French Ambassador to Djibouti, Mrs. Dana Purcarescu, the commander of the French forces stationed in Djibouti (COMFOR FFDj) , Air Brigadier General Sébastien Vallette, as well as a Djiboutian delegation including the Minister of Higher Education and Research, Mr. Nabil Mohamed Ahmed. On the same day, a visit was also made for students and representatives of Djiboutian universities.
The stopover continued with civil-military actions carried out by around fifty sailors for Djiboutian children and adolescents in difficulty, in conjunction with the Caritas Djibouti association . For two half-days, they participated in several sports and recreational activities and also took part in the maintenance of local heritage, particularly around the cathedral.
The operational break also allowed GAN sailors, who are rugby fans, to meet their comrades from the French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDj) during a match organized on the military base.
A second VIP Day took place at sea following the departure on board the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle , again in the presence of the French Ambassador to Djibouti and COMFOR FFDj and this time, accompanied by a military delegation and Djiboutian authorities including the President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Djama Souleiman Ali and the President of the Constitutional Council, Mr. Abdi Ismael Hersi.
The presence of the 1,450 French Forces stationed in Djibouti (FFDj) is governed by a defense cooperation treaty signed in 2024. The FFDj forward operating base provides the armed forces with a strategic foothold in the Horn of Africa, between the African continent and the Indo-Pacific region. The FFDj participate in the defense of French interests in their Permanent Zone of Responsibility (ZRP). They can also support operations on the continent and in the Indian Ocean. The FFDj conduct military cooperation actions for the benefit of the Djiboutian armed forces and the ZRP countries with a view to consolidating their military capabilities, particularly as part of their participation in peacekeeping operations.