A tiny African country, located in the Horn of Africa, is a global player on the world stage.
Djibouti has a population of just over one million but plays an outsized role due to its strong ties to the US and China.
It has gained a reputation as the world’s landlord of foreign military bases. It is home to Camp Lemonnier, the largest American permanent military base in Africa, which houses more than 4,000 US military personnel. The former French base was leased to the US in 2002.
The country hosts the only overseas Chinese military base and the only overseas Japanese military base.
China sparked concern in the West after it opened its base in 2017 amid fears of an expanding Chinese reach in Africa. Plans are ongoing to secure an even greater military presence in Djibouti. China has invested millions in the country as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road initiative.
The Chinese base has become a huge logistics facility, supported by up to two brigades of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Italian military and Saudi Arabian military both have a presence in the country.
Foreign military bases play a significant role in the country’s economy, with the US forking out £48.5 million a year to rent its bases.
France and Japan pay around £23m, while China pays £15million a year.
The payments comprise more than 5% of the country’s GDP.
The number of military bases in the tiny country, which only stretches 8,958 square miles, is due to its strategic location.
Djibouti is a largely stable and flourishing country but borders the volatile country of Somalia to the south and Eritieria to the north.
Somalia has been a hotbed of terrorist activity and sea piracy, which has led to the US military’s heavy presence.
Djibouti is also located between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
It is also 20 miles from Yemen, which has been at the centre of unrest for years. In the past year, since the Israeli war in Gaza began, Houthi militants in Yemen have been disrupting Red Sea trade by targeting shipping vessels.
Djibouti also provides a vital port for landlocked neighbour Ethiopia. In recent years, a crucial £3.2bn railway was completed between the two countries with the help of Chinese money.
