"The rules are the same for everyone: discretion and sobriety", was annoyed this Thursday the spokesman of the Ministry of the Armed Forces Hervé Grandjean following several tweets of Eric Zemmour, showing him in contact with French soldiers on the sidelines of a visit to Côte d'Ivoire.
The far-right presidential candidate took advantage of his stay in Abidjan to visit the French armed forces, based in the country.
"He made a visit this morning around 10 am (GMT and local) which continued until the beginning of the afternoon", to the camp of the French forces in Ivory Coast, specifies a diplomatic source.
“It's a visit just like all presidential candidates, who have the right to visit an army unit.
It turns out that he chose the French forces in Côte d'Ivoire, ”another source explained to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.
"Moral commitment"
However, in order to avoid "any risk of instrumentalisation of the French armed forces", candidates are asked not to post photos of their visit to the military.
“This moral commitment that we ask of the presidential candidates was not kept today by a candidate.
We regret it, ”Hervé Grandjean tweeted, targeting Eric Zemmour.
6. This moral commitment that we ask of the presidential candidates was not kept today by a candidate.
We regret it.
- Spokesperson for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces (@HerveGrandjean) December 23, 2021
Earlier in the day, Eric Zemmour had praised, in a message on Twitter, the “bravery” and “dedication” of the armed forces. "I want to salute your bravery and dedication which is matched only by all those in our country who are ready to sacrifice themselves for our flag," he wrote. "You are at the same time our sentries, our armor and the armed wing of our homeland in the world". He visited the 43rd Marine Infantry Battalion (43rd BIMa), present in Abidjan as part of a defense agreement between France and Côte d'Ivoire. The battalion provides, among other things, logistical support to the French anti-jihadist force Barkhane deployed in the Sahel.
I want to salute the bravery of our soldiers, which is matched only by that of their elders who made France great.
pic.twitter.com/dU86daWbwl
- Eric Zemmour (@ZemmourEric) December 23, 2021
The candidate, who wants to "strengthen the defense system of the national territory", promises to pay "particular attention to the means" allocated to defense and "to improve the living conditions" of the soldiers.
Eric Zemmour arrived in Côte d'Ivoire on Wednesday evening, without any information on his program having been revealed.
Thursday afternoon, he met about twenty French people living in Abidjan to discuss social issues, AFP noted.
According to his entourage, he must be back in France on Friday, which implies a departure from Abidjan this Thursday evening.
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This is Zemmour's first trip to Africa since he declared his candidacy in early December.
Contrary to what some local media claimed, the Ivorian presidency denied any meeting between the candidate and the Ivorian head of state, Alassane Ouattara.
In 2017, the French living in Abidjan voted 83% for Emmanuel Macron in the second round of the presidential election, against 17% in favor of his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.