France-Gabon military ties evolve as camp de gaulle transforms

The Camp De Gaulle is no longer a French base. This was the unequivocal statement made by France’s Ambassador to Gabon, Fabrice Mauriès, during his address on July 14th at the French National Day celebrations in Libreville. His announcement underscored the imminent completion of the site’s transformation, marking a significant shift in the military cooperation framework between France and Gabon.

Addressing the evolution of Franco-Gabonese defense relations, Mauriès emphasized that both nations were actively engaged in «a jointly constructed adaptation process», now in its «final phase». He highlighted that this transformation aligns with their shared goal of modernizing defense cooperation between Libreville and Paris.

During his speech, the ambassador stressed that «political, security, and military cooperation between our two nations remains the cornerstone of our relationship, built on deep bonds of brotherhood among comrades-in-arms». He noted that the Détachement de liaison interarmées au Gabon (DLI-G) now oversees operational cooperation, while national schools with regional vocations continue their training initiatives.

Mauriès went on to unveil a pivotal shift in France’s military presence in Gabon. «In the coming weeks, this partnership will reach a balanced and stabilized structure, where Camp De Gaulle, already no longer a ‘French base,’ will complete its transformation under a new identity», he stated.

Beyond military matters, the diplomat highlighted intensified collaboration in domestic security and justice. «We are working alongside the Minister of Justice to establish a national financial crimes unit in Gabon», he revealed. He also cited combating drug trafficking, irregular migration, border surveillance, and strengthening police, gendarmerie, firefighters, and prison administration capacities as key priorities in this cooperation.

Following the regime change in August 2023, France and Gabon embarked on redefining their military cooperation. This transition saw the former Éléments français au Gabon (EFG) evolve into the Détachement de liaison interarmées au Gabon (DLI-G), now focused on training, advisory, and operational cooperation.

The definitive transformation of Camp De Gaulle represents a new milestone in this restructuring, reaffirming both nations’ commitment to maintaining a strategic partnership tailored to the evolving security priorities of the subregion.