Why Djibouti? A major strategic base for France
Situated at the junction of the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, Djibouti occupies an exceptional geographical position, at the heart of one of the most sensitive areas of the globe. At the crossroads of the world's major shipping routes, an essential conduit for international trade and an interface between East Africa, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, Djibouti faces major security, economic and diplomatic challenges.
As the French military presence in Africa is being reorganised, the Forces françaises stationnées à Djibouti (FFDj) base is currently the last permanent French military base on the continent. With almost 1,500 military personnel, it is an essential base for protecting French interests, monitoring strategic flows, combating regional threats and providing rapid projection capability to several theatres of operation.
This strategic centrality is part of a long-standing and solid Franco-Djiboutian relationship, reaffirmed in July 2024 by the renewal of the strategic defence partnership between Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. This partnership is based on close cooperation in the fields of security, military training and regional stability, in addition to in-depth economic, cultural and scientific relations.
Operational immersion in the desert
The highlight of the mission was a day of immersion alongside the FFDj in the heart of the Djiboutian desert. After spending the night in a bivouac, where they were able to talk informally with the soldiers in charge of operational support, the auditors travelled to the training areas in GBC tactical trucks, heading for the mountains and desert of the Grand Bara.
Hosted by the Centre d'entraînement au combat et d'aguerrissement au désert (CECAD), the audience was able to discover the operational capabilities of the French forces through a series of dynamic demonstrations illustrating the diversity and complementarity of the armies, as well as the cooperation with the Djibouti Armed Forces, which took part in and jointly organised these exercises.
- Action from sea to land: FORFUSCO marine commandos, in cooperation with the Djibouti navy and coastguard, simulated the neutralisation of a terrorist leader. Helicopters, maritime support, special forces and the dissuasive passage of a Mirage aircraft illustrated the perfect interoperability of the resources involved.
- Joint land manoeuvre: the 5e Régiment interarmes d'outre-mer (5e RIAOM) presented its equipment before a dynamic defensive manoeuvre on the Koron firing range, with live firing. The demonstration highlighted the rich capabilities of a unit that integrates infantry, artillery, cavalry, engineers and light aviation.
- 3D interactions and air superiority: parachuting commandos from a CN-235, extraction by Puma helicopters and support from Mirage aircraft rounded off the day, illustrating our mastery of the land, sea and air environments.
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This immersion enabled us to take a concrete measure of the RDF's ability to intervene rapidly, on all types of terrain and in close cooperation with Djibouti's forces, in the service of regional stability.
Round tables and visits: deciphering geopolitical, economic and digital dynamics
The mission was also structured around high-level round tables and numerous field visits, giving the auditors a detailed understanding of the dynamics shaping Djibouti today.
Discussions focused onÂ
- «Regional environment and multilateral issues: major challenges for Djibouti's foreign policy», with Guelleh Idriss Omar, Director of the Multilateral Relations Department of the Djibouti Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bertrand Cochery, French Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Workneh Gebeyehu, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Okochi Akihiro, Japanese Ambassador to Djibouti.
- «The challenges facing Djibouti's business model«, with Ide Ahmed Mohamed, Managing Director of Doraleh Multipurpose Port, Simon Mibrathu, Secretary General of the Budget, Ahmed Osman Ali, Governor of the Central Bank of Djibouti and Sébastien Nahon, Managing Director of the Banque pour le Commerce et l'Industrie - Mer Rouge (BCIMR).
- «Djibouti's sovereignty in the digital age», with Mohamed Assoweh Bouh, Managing Director of Djibouti Telecom, Mariam Hamadou Ali, Minister for the Digital Economy and Innovation, and Mustapha Mohamed Ismaël, Director General of the National Agency for State Information Systems.
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These discussions were enriched by emblematic visits: Doraleh container terminal, submarine cable landing site, National Assembly, energy and water infrastructures, and finally French military bases (Air Force Base 188, Naval Base, 5th RIAOM, Army Light Aviation detachment).
A structuring mission to understand contemporary defence issues. This mission fully illustrates the vocation of the IHEDN: to train decision-makers capable of understanding contemporary strategic balances, in all their complexity, and of grasping France's role in an international environment undergoing profound change.
