French President Emmanuel Macron conversed by phone on September 10 with Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh, renewing his friendship and France’s support for the country. “In a regional context weakened by the resumption of fighting in Ethiopia, Djibouti’s stability represents an element of strength and a central point in the strategic relationship with France,” said the French president, explicitly referring to the relevance for Paris of the Camp Lemonnier military base (https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/4000935-20220911-djibouti-macron-reaffirme-president-djiboutien-attachement-stabilite-pays).
The French president and his Djiboutian counterpart underscored the importance of the strategic partnership between the two countries, while French Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu will visit Djibouti on September 15 to meet the commander of the local detachment of the 1,500 French soldiers in the country and to meet with his counterpart.
Macron, as part of his talks with Ismail Omar Guelleh, recalled how the risk of a food crisis continues to hover over the African continent, while the resumption of fighting in Ethiopia could increase the scope of the ongoing serious humanitarian crisis in the Tigray region.
In addition, on August 28-31, the French Navy’s frigate Lafayette visited the port of Djibouti as part of an operational mission in the Indian Ocean, and the president was keen to recall the country’s strategic centrality to the global security interests pursued by Paris (https://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/actualites/ffdj-base-navale-djibouti-point-dappui-essentiel-locean-indien).
