The base, an hour’s boat ride to north, is under construction and is likely be used as a hub to help transit natural resources from the continent back to China.Ĭurrently, Marine aircraft from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are staged at Lemonnier to help with operations in the region. While Lemonnier is located near French, Italian and Japanese bases, a new Chinese outpost has raised concern among some U.S. Lemonnier also sits just south of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a key choke point between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East that has been the scene of recent naval hostility between Yemeni Houthi rebels and Saudi forces. forces in the Middle East and Africa, including help with missions in Yemen and Somalia. The base’s strategic location on the Horn of Africa has made it central for U.S. The base’s name is derived from a French Foreign Legion outpost built in the same area in the 1950s. The United States pays $65 million a year to Djibouti’s government to use Lemonnier. Nearby, the Air Force operates an independent drone base. In the past 15 years, the base has transformed from an austere Marine outpost to a sprawling military installation with 4,000 U.S. base in Africa, also has continued to expand. military has conducted about 70 airstrikes against al-Qaeda fighters in Yemen in two months.Ĭamp Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. In March, President Donald Trump gave the Pentagon new authorities to conduct airstrikes against the terrorist group al-Shabab in Somalia, and the U.S. military increases pressure on militant groups in the region. Mattis’s visit marks the first time a high-ranking Trump administration official has visited Africa and comes as the U.S. “I don’t see a big military role,” he added. Mattis told reporters that the Pentagon would monitor the situation and that measures undertaken by shipping lines appear to be sufficient. In the years since, shipping companies have increased security measures, including using anti-boarding devices and armed contractors to deter pirates.Ī defense official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, partially attributed the recent spike in pirate activity to complacency among shipping companies, saying they may have relaxed their security procedures in recent years because of the reduction in threat. In 2011, there were more than 230 pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close MenuĪn Indian ship was hijacked by pirates this month, just weeks after an oil tanker was seized in nearby waters.
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