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Djibouti is a small African country in the region known as the Horn of Africa. It sits at an incredibly strategic point for shipping – all ships (many carrying oil) that pass through the Suez Canal (connecting Asia and Europe) and the Red Sea get within 10 miles of Djibouti.
Because of its strategic location for commerce, the country has attracted the eyes of foreign military powers keen on protecting their nation’s interests – US, France, Japan and China all have significant permanent military bases in the small African country (other countries like Germany, UK, Italy, Saudi Arabia and India have smaller or planned bases).
See the interactive Google Map at the bottom of the post!
Three key facts about this map
The Chinese and Japanese military bases in Djibouti are their first permanent overseas bases
For Japan, the military has been primarily concerned with defense of their home islands since WW2 (their military is called “Japan Self-Defense Force”). The country has had a military presence next to Camp Lemonnier since 2009, where the US has a military presence, primarily to support anti-piracy activities on the busy shipping route from Europe to Asia that passes Djibouti.
The Chinese military is a more-recent entrant into Djibouti, opening their base for operations in 2017. The base cost nearly US$600 million and is seen as a way for the Chinese military to project their influence in Africa.
This is the only country in the world where China and the US both have military presences
The obvious tensions between China and the US are further heightened in Djibouti, which is the only location in the world to house both countries simultaneously. Apparently, the US blocked another adversary, Russia, from building a base in Djibouti in the mid-2010s and were blindsided when the government of Djibouti signed an agreement with China to build a base. A major concern for the US was the proximity of the Chinese base to the Doraleh Container Terminal, which acts as a primary access point for US, French and Japanese bases in Djibouti.
Lease payments on military base land contribute almost 5% of Djibouti’s GDP
Foreign military powers contribute a significant amount to the economy of Djibouti through lease payments alone. The GDP of Djibouti is about US$3.3 billion in 2021, and annual leases from military bases are reported to be about US$150 million (all estimated):
- US: US$63 million
- France: US$30 million
- Japan: US$30 million
- China: US$20 million + commercial investment in the country
These lease payments represent almost 5% of the total GDP of Djibouti. This does not account for the added economic benefit of additional businesses, services and industry flowing to Djibouti due to the presence of these military bases.
Additional links and sources
- NYTimes article about US concerns over the new Chinese military base (link, published in 2017)
- Financial Times article centered on the strategic important of Djibouti (link, published in 2016)
- Details on the 10-year lease deal for the US base (link, published in 2014)
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