A general from the French army is dispatched from Paris to mark a further step in Franco-Malagasy cooperation. Marc Conruyt, director of human resources for the French army, arrived in the country last week as part of an official visit. The military field was at the center of this trip for this high-ranking French officer. Indeed, at the end of last week, Lieutenant General Marc Conruyt visited the Antsirabe Military Academy. The two countries have already sealed partnerships in the training of Malagasy cadets for decades. And this visit by Marc Conruyt was “an opportunity to further strengthen ties, within the framework of exchanges and capacity building, during the training of officer cadets” between France and Madagascar, according to information reported by the ministry. Malagasy of the Armed Forces. In any case, the army chief of staff, Manantsoa Deramasinjaka, accompanied Marc Conruyt during this visit.
Operational. One of the next major events on the agenda of this cooperation is the “Papangue” military exercise which will be held this month in Reunion. This exercise, which traditionally welcomes Malagasy soldiers, demonstrates the continued commitment of the two countries to operational military cooperation. The recent meeting between General Conruyt and Delphin Monja Sahivelo, Malagasy Minister of the Armed Forces, also addressed this issue, thus underlining the importance given to this collaboration in the south-west region of the Indian Ocean. It is also another framework for cooperation between the two armies in this area where French leadership is recognized on a military level.
Qualitative level. Furthermore, military cooperation between France and Madagascar is also manifested through initiatives such as the twinning between the Prytanée Nationale Militaire military high school in La Flèche and the Semipi in Fianarantsoa. Marc Conruyt’s visit to this military school made it possible to appreciate the training provided, sparking constructive discussions between the military authorities of the two countries. The qualitative level of training in Fianarantsoa was, to this end, at the center of discussions between the general staff of the Malagasy army and the director of human resources of the French army, according to information from the Ministry of Defense. armed forces. Semipi, it should be noted, was represented at the seminar of French and African military high schools on January 30 in Tours, France.
Densification. This event brought together delegations from seven African schools, including Madagascar, with which the 4 French Army high schools are twinned, to share their experiences and reflect on intensifying their collaborations. “ This day aimed to share feedback on the twinning carried out between the different establishments and to collectively reflect on the densification of the system » according to the French army. These exchanges aim to strengthen the “bonds of friendship between the young French and African generations, by sharing the values of excellence, discipline and camaraderie” which characterize these establishments. For almost two years, the French Army has been committed to strengthening twinning between its military high schools and African prytanées, with the aim of “fostering lasting and mutually beneficial cooperation”.
Rija R.