The Navy of Ivory Coast has commissioned 2 patrol vessels donated by China at the Plateau Naval Base in Abidjan on July 2, 2026. The ceremony enhances the fleet that Abidjan has progressively reconstructed since the mid-2010s.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Téné Birahima Ouattara, presided over the event. He described the delivery as part of a “strategic trajectory” aimed at strengthening the country’s defence capabilities. The vessels were named Capitaine de Vaisseau Blamassi and Capitaine de Frégate Sanogo, honoring Touré Blamassi, the first Ivorian officer to command the Locodjro naval base following French forces’ withdrawal in 1998, and Sanogo Yacouba, a naval officer recognized for his service record.
Each vessel was designated a godmother, in accordance with naval tradition, where a sponsor is selected to break a bottle of champagne on the hull, a ritual intended to safeguard the crew at sea. Mariatou Koné, Minister of State Portfolio and Public Enterprises, sponsored the Blamassi; Belmonde Dogo, Minister of National Cohesion, Solidarity, and the Fight Against Poverty, sponsored the Sanogo. “Being a ship’s godmother is not merely about accepting a title; it is about embracing a symbolic presence alongside those who serve”, Dogo stated, according to AIP.
The vessels are relatively small by naval standards, each measuring 27 meters in length, with a 4-meter beam, a 1.2-meter draft, and an 8-meter air draft. They displace 60 tonnes, reach top speeds of 20 knots, and can operate for 2 days at sea without refueling with a crew of 12. The shallow draft allows operation near the coast, including estuaries and river mouths inaccessible to larger patrol ships, which is significant given the Ivorian coastline now assessed at 566 kilometers by officials. Their mandate includes anti-piracy patrols, fisheries protection, anti-trafficking efforts, monitoring irregular migration, and search and rescue operations.
“Through this donation, the Chinese government demonstrates the excellence of Sino-Ivorian bilateral cooperation,” said Defense Minister Téné Ouattara, extending gratitude on behalf of President Alassane Ouattara’s government. Chinese assistance to Ivory Coast’s navy dates back to July 2017, when Beijing transferred a 27-meter Predator-class patrol boat via its ambassador in Abidjan; this vessel was intended for anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Guinea.
This Chinese donation is part of a broader, multi-source revitalization of the Ivorian Navy. Between 2014 and 2016, France’s Raidco Marine supplied three 33-meter RPB33 patrol boats, L’Emergence, Le Bouclier, and Sekongo, along with Defender rigid-hulled inflatable boats and smaller vessels. In 2022, the navy acquired a secondhand P400 offshore patrol vessel from France, initially built in the early 1980s and previously exported to Kenya and Gabon. Additionally, Israel Shipyards has constructed two OPV-45 offshore patrol vessels for Abidjan, beginning in December 2020; the first vessel, subsequently named Esperance, was christened in June 2023, and the second, Vaillance, was launched in October 2024. Vice Admiral N’Guessan Kouame Celestin, the Ivorian naval chief of staff, has also outlined plans for maritime surveillance drones as part of this modernization effort.
Patrol vessels like the Blamassi and Sanogo are cost-effective and quick to produce, making them attractive diplomatic gifts that foster goodwill. However, their limited 2-day endurance and small crew size restrict their operational range to inshore environments rather than to sustained offshore presence. The Gulf of Guinea remains a significant piracy hotspot and a route for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, as well as narcotics trafficking toward Europe. With the commissioning of the Blamassi and Sanogo vessels, the Ivorian Navy’s inshore patrol capacity has moderately increased.