Twenty-five French soldiers cut through five kilometres of bush land in Tailevu and trekked to their survival base camp as part of a jungle and survival training programme.

This was after they were dropped off at the Sote village road junction in Tailevu a week ago.

The French soldiers from the Regiment Infanterie de Maire du Pacifique Nouvelle Caledonia (RIMaP-NC), are in the country on an exchange programme with the Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF).

French Embassy defence attaché, Commander Hubert Jannot said the main purpose of the exchange exercise was to share different experiences.

The programme aims  mutual understanding between the two defence forces.

“In the future we will be able to work together in the region on different theatres abroad and this mutual exchange of knowledge will be very useful,” Commander Jannot said.

Experience

The soldiers spent the past few days trekking the bush from Sote Village to Natoaika Village in Naitasiri.

Last weekend, the French soldiers and their RFMF counterparts were hosted at Natoaika Village.

The military co-operation between the French Armed Forces and the RFMF aims at enhancing military co-operation between the defence forces.

This agreement would be useful when both armies work together in peacekeeping operations.

Simultaneously, 24 RFMF soldiers are in New Caledonia in similar survival and nautical training.

The two-week exercise in Fiji should cover a combined 23km of territorial trekking and water survival exercises.

Source: Embassy of France in Fiji

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