KUWAIT: On November 11, 2025, the French Embassy in Kuwait commemorated France’s National Remembrance Day, marking the 107th anniversary of the Armistice of November 11, 1918. The ceremony was held at the Residence of France, under the patronage of Olivier Gauvin, Ambassador of France to Kuwait, and in the presence of French Armed Forces personnel from the Chammal detachment based at Camp Arifjan, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Level and placed under the authority of Colonel Bouju, Defense Attaché.
The event was attended by numerous representatives of Kuwaiti civil and military authorities, including Sheikh Abdullah Meshaal Mubarak Al-Sabah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, as well as defense attachés from diplomatic missions accredited to Kuwait, members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of the French community.
The ceremony included a presentation of decorations, the roll call of the fallen, a minute of silence, and the reading of messages from Catherine Vautrin, Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans, and Alice Rufo, Minister Delegate. In his address, the Ambassador of France underscored the universal significance of this day of remembrance, which honors the memory of all those who gave their lives for peace and freedom, and highlighted the importance of passing this legacy of memory and solidarity to younger generations.
Recalling the immense sacrifices of the First World War and the symbolic place of the Unknown Soldier in France’s national consciousness, the Ambassador emphasized that remembrance extends beyond 1918, encompassing the names and faces of all those who have fallen for France, both past and present. He also paid tribute to French soldiers who died in overseas operations and in the service of peace, particularly those who fell during the liberation of Kuwait, as well as those who lost their lives more recently in Iraq and Syria. The ceremony held special resonance in Kuwait, given the historic bond between both nations during the Gulf War, when over 18,000 French soldiers fought alongside their Kuwaiti brothers-in-arms and the united international coalition to liberate Kuwait.
The Ambassador invited the assembly to remember the sixteen French soldiers who died between 1990 and 1991 during Operation Daguet — the French contribution to the international “Desert Storm” coalition formed following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait — and solemnly read their names in tribute: Staff Sergeant Jacques Burgart; Lieutenant Frédéric Amisse; Staff Sergeant Justin Guichard; Corporal Eric Cordier; Sergeant Yves Schmitt; Warrant Officer Gérard Sudre; Corporal Van Suong N’guyen; Corporal Pascal Couci; Corporal Pascal De La Cour; Warrant Officer Mouloud Medjadba; Chief Petty Officer Michel Legrand; Captain Fabrice Pilato; Lieutenant Eric Robbe; Warrant Officer Bruno Parachini; Lieutenant Arnaud Chevrel; Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Demetz.
The Ambassador reminded the audience that peace is never permanently secured, and that collective memory must continue to be nurtured — out of duty of remembrance and solidarity with veterans and the families of the fallen. He also referred to the symbol of the “Bleuet de France”, a mark of solidarity with veterans, and emphasized the importance of perpetuating these acts of remembrance. In closing, the Ambassador reaffirmed France’s commitment to strengthening its ties with Kuwaiti authorities and civil society partners, so that the spirit of remembrance and the shared commitment to peace may remain alive and enduring.
