| Camp Lemonnier | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambouli, Djibouti City in Djibouti | |||||||
 A US Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier landing at Camp Lemonnier in 2014 | |||||||
 | |||||||
  Camp Lemonnier Location in Djibouti | |||||||
| Coordinates | 11°32′37″N 43°08′55″E / 11.54361°N 43.14861°E | ||||||
| Type | US military base | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Government of Djibouti (leased to the US) | ||||||
| Operator | United States Navy | ||||||
| Controlled by | Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 2002 | ||||||
| In use | 2002 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Current commander | Captain S.J.M. Krauss | ||||||
| Garrison | Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | IATA: JIB, ICAO: HDAM | ||||||
| Elevation | 15 metres (49 ft) AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Airfield shared with Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport | |||||||
Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base,[1] situated next to Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport in Djibouti City, and home to the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) of the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM).[2] It is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa.[3][4] The camp is operated by U.S. Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia; CJTF-HOA is the most notable tenant command located at the facility as of 2008.
Camp Lemonnier was originally established as garrison for the French Foreign Legion. The base was leased by Djibouti to the United States in 2002, along with the right to use the neighboring airport and port facilities. The base supports Operation Enduring Freedom – Horn of Africa (OEF-HOA) and is the centerpiece of a network of around six U.S. drone and surveillance bases stretching across the continent.[4][5] The latter air bases are smaller and operate from remote hangars situated within local military bases or civilian airports. Due to its strategic location, Camp Lemonnier also serves as a hub for aerial operations in the Persian Gulf region.[4]
Djibouti is strategically located by the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Gulf of Aden from the Red Sea and controls the approaches to the Suez Canal. As a result, the country hosts many other foreign military bases, including a Chinese naval base, a French airbase, an Italian Support Base and a Japanese base. The United States Pentagon has accused the Chinese of targeting U.S. military aircraft with a high-powered laser near its Chinese military base in Djibouti.[6]
Unlike French troops, who are allowed to enter Djibouti city and interact with the locals, US troops may only leave Camp Lemonnier by special permission, and most of Djibouti City is off limits.[7][8] However, in 2015 a US military investigation concluded that nineteen members of the U.S. National Guard, 775th Engineering Division, had sex with prostitutes at an off-base residence in Djibouti. Sex trafficking in, and around, Djibouti has been a persistent problem.[9]
- ^ "Introduction to MARCENT". United States Marine Corps. May 2006. Archived from the original (PPT) on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 9 February 2007.
- ^ "Africans Fear Hidden U.S. Agenda in New Approach to Africom". Associated Press. 30 September 2008. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2008.
- ^ Contorno, Steve (12 June 2014). "Hillary Clinton says in memoir that there's very little U.S. military presence in Africa". PolitiFact.com. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- ^ a b c "U.S. expands secret intelligence operations in Africa". The Washington Post. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "Remote U.S. base at core of secret operations". The Washington Post. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 5 April 2015.
- ^ "USA's Military Empire: A Visual Database". World BEYOND War. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
- ^ Jacobs, Andrew; Perlez, Jane (25 February 2017). "U.S. Wary of Its New Neighbor in Djibouti: A Chinese Naval Base".
- ^ Pieper, Dietmar (8 February 2018). "Geopolitical Laboratory: How Djibouti Became China's Gateway To Africa". Spiegel Online.
- ^ "Publications". reachingcriticalwill.org. Retrieved 27 March 2024.