Smruti D

In 2015, when Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention in the war-torn Yemen, the Indian armed forces carried out ‘Operation Rahat’ and succeeded in evacuating thousands of Indians and foreigners. At the time, Djibouti, a tiny African country that sits across the Bab-el-Mandeb strait from Yemen, helped greatly in the evacuation process. The evacuees were advised to gather at Sanaa and Aden in Yemen, from where the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy transported them to Djibouti and were in turn brought back to India. Although India and Djibouti have shared bilateral ties, China’s acquisition of a military base in the country has put the Indian authorities on alert in the recent years. As a result, India has actively increased its diplomatic outreach to Djibouti, but still a lot remains to be done.

President Ram Nath Kovind being received by the President of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, during former’s visit to the coastal nation in October 2017

In his official capacity in 2017, President Ram Nath Kovind’s first international tour took him to two African neighbours—Djibouti and Ethiopia. The timing of the President’s visit coincided with China formally opening its first international military base adjacent to the Port of Doraleh in the country, just a month before the visit. Djibouti’s geostrategic and geopolitical importance cannot be over-emphasised, which is why, much to India’s concern, China has occupied a base there.

Why is Djibouti Important?

Djibouti, located in the Horn of Africa, sits on the north-western edge of the Indian Ocean. The country stretches 23,200sqkm and is bordered by Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Red Sea. The Red Sea separates Asia from Africa. Djibouti’s strategic location makes it overlook the Bab-el Mandeb strait, which is a gateway to one of the world’s busiest trade route, the Suez Canal.

The Horn of Africa is a region rife with conflicts, deprivation and other problems such as famine and war. What has made Djibouti stand out from its neighbours has been its ability to sustain itself as a relatively peaceful country in a region known for its volatility. As a result of which, the US, France, Japan and Italy have already occupied military bases in the country. China is the newest country to have secured one base there. The French base also hosts German and Spanish contingencies.

Huge investments are made by richer countries in Djibouti which has little to offer apart from its geographic location. The country is hot and the natural soil in the country is mainly sand—factors that do not give Djibouti much of a scope to produce its own natural resources, as a result of which, everything including basic necessities such as water and food are imported. The country suffers from high unemployment rate. Ports are the lifeline of Djibouti’s economy, allowing larger countries to set up their bases there works well in its interests as it proves to be the most prominent source of income, which in turn helps with employment of its own people. Global powers look at Djibouti as a place of strategic and economic significance. Even as their presence is debated, foreign powers have set up bases across the continent. Today, Africa hosts bases of 13 foreign countries, of which five are in Djibouti. The prominent reason for the presence of foreign powers there is to curb the heavy militancy prevalent across the continent, a factor that holds the capability to hurt international peace. Djibouti’s geographic proximity to some of the hotbeds of unrest in the world, namely Yemen and Somalia, make it a sought-after country. Djibouti’s location provides foreign powers the benefi