The French naval patrol vessel Le Malin calls at the Port of Mombasa

On Saturday, January 24, 2026, the Port of Mombasa has welcomed the arrival of French naval patrol vessel Le Malin, marking a continued strengthening of maritime security cooperation in East Africa.

Harbour Master and General Manager Marine Operations, Capt. Patrick Onyango, officially received the vessel’s crew on behalf of the Managing Director, Capt. William Ruto.

The French Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Arnaud Sucquet, and the German Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Sebastian Groth, were among the high-profile dignitaries who graced the reception ceremony that included a guided tour of the vessel’s operational sections.

Ambassador Sucquet underscored France’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Kenya, particularly through joint naval exercises aimed at enhancing maritime security in the Indian Ocean region. He emphasized that Kenya continues to play an increasingly strategic role in both the Indian Ocean and regional stability.

The German envoy added that the presence of the German Ambassador Groth was of symbolic significance to the occasion, aligning with ongoing Franco-German celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty, a 1963 landmark agreement that ended decades of rivalry and cemented a modern partnership between the two nations.

Launched in 1997 as a longline fishing vessel, Le malin was seized by French authorities in 2004 for her involvement in illegal fishing activities in the Southern Ocean.

The French Navy later refurbished and commissioned her as a patrol vessel, deployed to pursue operations across the southern Indian Ocean to monitor fishing activity and enforce maritime law in the region.

Source : KPA