The US fears China could strangle its only permanent military base in Africa – and a port in Djibouti could be the weapon
- US National Security Adviser John Bolton thinks China could take control of the Doraleh Container Terminal, critical for supplying the Pentagon’s Camp Lemonnier
- Djibouti is thought to be heavily in debt to China, making US interests in the tiny African nation vulnerable
When unveiling the Trump administration’s new Africa policy on Thursday, national security adviser John Bolton made a point to speak about a single container port in the tiny East African nation of Djibouti.
Officials say the Doraleh Container Terminal is critical for resupplying the only permanent US base in Africa, and Bolton said that China could take control of this port.
While Djibouti is slightly smaller than New Jersey and has a population of less than 1 million, its strategic location gives it an outsize influence. At the southern end of the Red Sea, Djibouti is on the shipping route between Asia and the Suez Canal. Every day an estimated 4.8 million barrels of oil transit the Bab el-Mandeb strait adjacent to Djibouti.
Djibouti’s proximity to terrorist havens in Yemen and Somalia also made it an ideal location for the US military. Camp Lemonnier, a former French Foreign Legion base, became an expeditionary base for counterterrorism operations after the September 11 attacks. The base, which shares a runway with Djibouti’s only international airport, has grown significantly over the years.
China and Russia projects in Africa are US security issues, top adviser to Donald Trump says
The base houses thousands of military personnel to support operations in the region. The military reports killing approximately 254 al-Shabab militants through 32 air strikes in Somalia this year so far. That is a significant increase over the approximately 150 Somali militants reportedly killed the previous year. Djibouti is also adjacent to Yemen, where the US has been supporting Saudi-led efforts against Houthi militants.