De Faakto Intelligence Research Observatory
Background & Analysis
Djibouti is a small dusty coastal nation on the Horn of Africa that has the distinction of being located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea on route to the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden. Djibouti is a mandatory passage way for important maritime trade routes; making it strategic terra firma, sought after by the most powerful militaries in the world. Djibouti is ideal for navel security operations, anti-piracy patrols, counter terror drone strikes, air force operations, counter terror special operations, intelligence-surveillance, peacekeeping & humanitarian aid. (Politico, 2018) With bases in Djibouti nations can protect commerce and trade, guard maritime oil shipping routes and facilitate extraction missions for expatriates working abroad. Djibouti is close to hotbeds of turmoil in Africa. Countries like Somalia, and Yemen in the Middle East, necessitate the need for proximal military bases. (BBC, 2018) Furthermore, Djibouti presents a battle space, suitable for proxy war, far from opposing homelands should a conflict occur between nations garrisoned there. (Politico, 2018) The central government of Djibouti leases prime military property to the United States, China, France, Italy and Japan and will soon host Saudi Arabia and is considering India. (Reuters, 2016) In return for leased military bases the barren nation with few natural resources, receives cash, business opportunities and infrastructure. (Politico, 2018)
Who is Operating Military Bases in Djibouti?
United States of America
France
Italy
Japan
China
Future Prospective Military Base Operators in Djibouti
Saudi Arabia (agreement to a build base in Djibouti)
India (looking to secure base in the future)
Military Bases in Djibouti, Hosting Other Nations
France hosts German & Spanish military personnel
United States hosts British military personnel
Japan has entered a co-operative agreement to share base(s) with India
Types of Missions Executed by Militaries Based in Djibouti
Anti-piracy in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea
Humanitarian aid missions
Peacekeeping missions
Tactical & strategic military operations
Navel ops
Air Force ops
Drone activities
Spec-ops
Anti-terror ops-combat terrorist threats in Yemen and the Horn of Africa
Intelligence
Surveillance
USA-Camp Lemonnier
Camp Lemonnier is a former military base established as a garrison for the French foreign Legion and is now leased by the United States Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa. There are 4000 U.S. soldiers and contractors based there. (BBC, 2018) Since occupying Lemonnier the United States has established a second base at Chabelley Airfield for drone operations. This has reduced aviation congestion at Lemonnier with conventional air force operations (Politico, 2018)
About Camp Lemonnier
The United States pays $63 million annually to lease the base
Leased by Djibouti to the United States in 2001, along with the right to use the neighboring airport and port facilities
Lemonnier is a Naval Expeditionary Base, situated next to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti City
Camp Lemonnier also serves as a hub for aerial operations in the Persian Gulf region
The only permanent U.S. military base in Africa
Lemonnier provides support for combat readiness-security for ships & aircraft detachments, personnel for regional and combatant command requirements
Enables operations in the Horn of Africa while fostering positive U.S.-African Nation relations
Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy led installation operated by Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia via U.S. Naval Forces Africa and Commander, Navy Installations Command
Camp Lemonnier supports joint and allied forces military, civilian personnel and U.S. Department of Defense contractors (CNIC, 2018)
The base provides employment for approximately 100 local and third country nation workers
France
France is a former colonial ruler of Djibouti
Formerly known as French Somaliland (1896–1967) and the French Territory of the Afars and Issas (1967–77), the country took Djibouti as its name when it gained independence from France on June 27, 1977 (Britannica, 2018)
France reaffirmed its commitment to the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Djibouti, through the 2011 Defence Cooperation Treaty (France Diplomatie, 2018)
The Treaty sets out the operational facilities granted to stationed French forces, which make up Frances largest military base abroad with some 1,450 troops (France Diplomatie, 2018)
Djibouti is France’s biggest Foreign Legion deployment
France has warships, aircraft and armoued vehicles in Djibouti, (NEWS.com.au, 2017)
France hosts German & Spanish military forces
French Air Forces launch operations from the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport (BBC, 2018)
Italy
Italy has its own base in Djibouti
This infrastructure is the first real operational logistic base of the Italian armed forces outside the national borders
Considered by the Italian government “a permanent outpost in an area of enormous strategic importance” (Il Sole 24 ORE, 2013)
Italian Base Garrisons
Approximately 300 personnel
Navy riflemen protecting merchant ships transiting the Indian Ocean
Special Forces teams
Carabinieri (Il Sole 24 ORE, 2013)
Italian Military Operations
Fighting terrorism, close to Somalia and Yemen
Surveillance of mercantile traffic
Deploy dozens of instructors and parachutists in Mogadishu as part of the European training mission in favor of the Somali army
Military engagement in anti-terrorist operations against Shabaab Islamists or al-Qaeda exponents
liberation of hostages, kidnap and ransom operations
Carabinieri train local police (Il Sole 24 ORE, 2013)
Japan
Djibouti is Japan's first foreign military base
Located next to the U.S. military base, Camp Lemonnier and the Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport on a 12 hectare lot (BBC, 2018)
Port facilities for a single navel destroyer
The Japanese Self Defense Force presence consists of 180 Troops with barracks
Japanese Military Operations
Navel operations
Anti-piracy, Somali coast & Gulf of Aden
Navel peacekeeping operations
Navel resupply
Peacekeeping-United Nations-South Sudan (Reuters, 2016)
Humanitarian missions (Reuters, 2016)
Support of multinational operations (Island Society, 2017)
Air Force capability-patrol planes
Access to joint civilian airport operations & American, French, and Italian expeditionary bases (Island Society, 2017)
Japan's strategic central location quick reaction force, to rescue and evacuate Japanese interests working in Africa
Countering Chinese power and influence in the region (The Trumpet, 2018)
Promote Japanese Regional influence (Quartz Africa, 2017)
Japanese return to global power & influence, post seventy years of pacifism (Reuters, 2016)
India
India is working on options for securing a military base of operations in Djibouti
Japan and India are discussing India’s use of Japanese military facilities in Djibouti (Business Insider, 2018)
If India successfully acquires a military base in Djibouti all major global powers will have military presence in East Africa (Politico, 2018)
Indian Military Bases of Influence in Region
As an alternative to Indian military presence in Djibouti, India has ambitiously secured strategic military bases in Oman, Singapore and Seychelles (Politico, 2018)
- Oman
Indian navel facilities near the Strait of Hormuz, this is of strategic importance because more then 30% of seaborne oil exports pass through the waterways daily (CNBC, 2018)
- Seychelles
India has secured a 20 year contract with Seychelles
Indian Air Force will develop an airstrip for operations
Indian Navy will build a jetty for navel assets (CNBC, 2018)
- Singapore
India and Singapore have bilateral agreements to utilize one another’s military bases
United Kingdom
Military personnel from the United Kingdom are stationed in Djibouti at Camp Lemonnier in support of U.S. Military operations (The Guardian, 2014)
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is about to complete its first-ever foreign military base in Djibouti (Asharq Al-Awsat, 2018)
Saudi Military Operations
Anti-piracy
Anti-terrorism
Stabilize & Secure business confidence in the region, encourage foreign investment
Protect oil commerce
Increase Saudi presence & influence
Deployment of troops to Yemen via the Red Sea (Asharq Al-Awsat, 2018)
Reduce war costs spent by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition in Yemen
Enables Saudi to attack or contain the sea & air across the Gulf of Aden
Detect and intercept Iranian supplies to Houthi militias passing through the Somali coast
China
Djibouti is China's first overseas naval logistics center
China's military base is located within miles of the United States Camp Lemonnier
The base provides access to Djibouti-Ambouli International Airport for Chinese military operations
The Peoples Liberation Army Navy is said to have secured exclusive use to at least one of the ports berths (CFR, 2018)
Chinese Military Operations
Chinese interest in the “far seas” (CFR, 2018)
China’s quest to have a truly international blue-water navy (East Asia Forum, 2018)
Anti-piracy operations-escort missions-protection of trade routes in the Indian & South China Sea
Anti-terror operations
United Nations peacekeeping missions across Africa
Chinese Navel peacekeeping missions under the auspices of the United Nations
Evacuation of Chinese citizens working in Africa, in times of conflict (BBC, 2018)
Navel security mandate; to protect and defend Chinese growing interests in East Africa and the Indian Ocean (East Asia Forum, 2018)
Military experimentation, an opportunity for Chinese military forces to experience and learn from global operations
Other Interests Secured by China's Military in Djibouti
China's Silk Road Economic Belt
Chinese oil interests in South Sudan-Crude oil exported by ship to China from Africa and the Middle East (62 per cent of China’s total crude oil imports) (East Asia Forum, 2018)
China’s capital exports to Africa
China’s stock of overseas direct investment in Africa (East Asia Forum, 2018)
Djibouti-Ethiopia railway, built by China
Chinese nationals working in the region (BBC, 2018)