During a visit to Paramaribo on September 14 and 15, General Marc Le Bouil, the commander of the French Armed Forces in Guyana, arrived with a series of FAMAS assault rifles destined for Suriname. France and Suriname share a common border in Latin America and thus have mutual interests in the region.
On this occasion, France delivered various military equipment worth one million euros to the Surinamese armed forces, in the presence of civil and military authorities from both countries, including the French Ambassador, Nicolas de Lacoste. Over 55 cubic meters of equipment, mainly FAMAS rifles and ammunition, were transported to Paramaribo by the French Armed Forces in Guyana. However, military and security cooperation with Suriname has had its ups and downs. It was temporarily suspended in 2019 by Surinamese authorities due to incidents during operations against illegal gold mining on the Maroni River, stemming from uncertainties about the border demarcation between the two countries.
The FAMAS, an acronym for “Fusil d’Assaut de la Manufacture d’Armes de Saint-Étienne”, is a bullpup assault rifle that has been the “iconic” rifle of the French armed forces for nearly four decades. It has been gradually replaced by the HK-416F in operational units since 2017.