France in the south-west Indian Ocean

The role of France in the south-west Indian Ocean’s regional organizations

France’s bilateral and regional partnerships with south-west Indian Ocean countries are visible in the intense cooperation on shared priorities such as maritime safety and security, the blue economy, disaster risk management and the preservation of the marine environment.

The French regional presence is further boosted by its membership of two regional organizations that bring together the region’s States: the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). These two organizations offer France and other member States a forum for dialogue and diversified regional cooperation, and an opportunity for France to strengthen the regional integration of its Indian Ocean territories.

• For more than 30 years, the IOC has brought together the island States of the south-west Indian Ocean: Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and France (because of La Réunion). France’s presidency of the IOC from May 2021 to February 2022 was an opportunity to consolidate and deepen regional solidarity to address the challenges we share.
• For more than 20 years, the IORA has brought together the neighbouring States of the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to Australia and France. Having been an IORA “Dialogue Partner” since 2001, France became a full member of the organization in December 2020. Alongside its partners, France promotes initiatives to jointly design appropriate and sustainable solutions in the fields of the economy, the environment and security, taking a multi-actor and multidimensional approach.

France’s humanitarian and military cooperation in the south-west Indian Ocean

The French Armed Forces in the Southern Indian Ocean Zone (FAZSOI), deployed in La Réunion and Mayotte, provide a permanent military presence based in the area and conduct sovereignty and regional cooperation missions. For example, they have provided humanitarian aid to people hit by climate disasters (Cyclone Idai in Mozambique in March 2019 and Cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar in February 2022).

France’s military cooperation with its partners takes the form of military training. Since 2022, the FAZSOI have assisted European contingents in northern Mozambique by helping train the country’s troops for the fight against armed terrorist groups in the region.

French action in the region is conducted more broadly in the context of its Indo-Pacific Strategy. During his visit to the Republic of Vanuatu on 27 July 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed the importance of building a free, open and inclusive maritime space, which has been a French priority since 2018.

Find out more about France’s role in the Indo-Pacific

Updated: July 2024