The French army has begun teaching numerous African forces in Gabon on environmental protection issues as part of a program organized by the Academy for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources (APERN).
The drills are part of France’s reorganization of its military posture in Africa, which is now more focused on support and capacity-building following the country’s decision to demolish its permanent military posts in the region.
Over many days, participants engage in field exercises and workshops aimed at addressing issues such as illegal gold mining, deforestation, and the protection of fragile ecosystems.
The exercise brings together eleven teams from eight African countries — Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Chad and Gabon — as well as a French team, all supervised by Gabonese and French trainers.
The Gabonese Minister of National Defence attended the event, underlining the political importance of environmental security in the region. Organisers say the aim is not just to share technical know-how, but also to build long-term partnerships between armies that often face the same environmental threats across their borders.
Commander Clavier is the Technical Director of the Academy for the Protection of the Environment and Natural Resources, or APERN.
“This partnership is, above all, an exchange — an exchange of expertise,” he explains. “At APERN, for example, we have developed strong know-how in the fight against illegal gold mining. We draw on our French experience, particularly in French Guiana, where we have been working on this issue for many years through Operation Harpie. But we also rely on Gabon’s own experience in tackling illegal gold mining, notably through Operation Minkebe. Bringing these experiences together allows us to offer very concrete, operational training to our African partners,” Commander Clavier told reporters.
