French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Saturday the importance of his country’s military presence in Djibouti in order to develop its strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, during a meeting with his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh.
“This presence in Djibouti is also directed towards the Indo-Pacific region, and our new strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, which has been strengthened since the spring of 2018, cannot be implemented without French troops in Djibouti,”Macron said.
While France was forced to withdraw its troops from several African countries, especially in the Sahel region, the French President pointed to the uniqueness of Djibouti, which enjoys stability amid a turbulent region, according to”Agence France-Presse”.
This small East African state is located off Yemen, at the mouth of the Red Sea in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, where a significant part of world trade passes between Asia and the West.
About 60 percent of global GDP is concentrated in the Indo-Pacific region, which covers a large area of Asia and Oceania, including major emerging countries such as India and China.
Speaking to French soldiers with whom he shared a Christmas dinner on Friday, Macron stressed that the French base in Djibouti, which houses 1,500 soldiers, is the next largest French force abroad and the only one that has not been affected by Paris ‘ decision in recent years to reduce its military presence on the African continent, will work to “reinvent” it to be a “starting point” for”missions” in Africa.
France was forced to evacuate its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger between 2022 and 2023 after the army came to power.
For his part, the president of Djibouti referred to the “distinguished relationship” with France, which was marked by the renewal of the defense partnership agreement concluded between the two countries in July.
He also welcomed the signing of two agreements related to the construction of a new airport in Djibouti and the development of a space agency. Details of the agreement, which has been renewed and is awaiting ratification by the parliaments of the two countries, have not been announced.
The agreement “legitimizes the French presence in Djibouti”for the next two decades and” ensures the continuation of our naval and air bases while facilitating access to the airport in Djibouti, “according to the Elysee.
