Le Monnier Base in Djibouti is the largest American base in Africa

A simulation exercise to rescue injured people at Camp Le Monnier in Djibouti in 2006 (Reuters)

An American military base in Djibouti, where members of the American Armed Forces are stationed, is considered the largest and only permanent American base in Africa, and a primary center for US Army air cargo aircraft.

This base was named after French Army General Emile Ronnie Lumnier (1893-1945), who participated in World War I, the Indochina War, and World War II, and served with the French army in several African countries.

the site

The Lemonnier base is located in the capital, Djibouti, 6 kilometers from the city center and 8 miles from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and extends over an area of ​​2,000 square kilometers opposite Embouli International Airport.

The importance of the base’s location stems from Djibouti’s view of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which represents the southern entrance to the Red Sea, the link between Europe and East Asia, and a central hub between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to easy access through the port of Djibouti, adjacent to the Le Monnier base, to the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. .

During US Marine Corps training with the 24th Marine Regiment at Le Monnier Base on February 24, 2003 (Getty)

Foundation

Camp Le Monnier was established during the French presence in Djibouti (1892-1967), but with the increased American interest in the military presence in Africa after the events of September 2001, the United States of America launched Operation “Enduring Freedom for the Horn of Africa” with the aim of confronting “terrorist organizations” in Africa. And piracy operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and this operation included Djibouti and other countries such as Somalia, Sudan, and Ethiopia.

The United States of America negotiated with the government of Djibouti to obtain Camp Le Monnier, and a formal agreement was signed between them in 2003 under which the United States was given the right to use the camp.

The base continued to expand with the succession of presidents in the White House. In 2007, US President George Bush established the “American Military Command in Africa” (AFRICOM), which represents a security apparatus responsible for all African countries except Egypt. In turn, he increased support for American operations in Africa and took the Le Monnier base as its headquarters. essential for him.

During the era of President Barack Obama, in 2014, a new lease contract was concluded with the government of Djibouti for 30 years at a cost of $63 million annually, in addition to the right for the American army to use the ports and airports in the city, with the presence of 4,000 American soldiers at the base, and the presence of reconnaissance planes and forces of other countries. Another works within the unified joint force in the Horn of Africa with the aim of “combat piracy operations in the Red Sea and potential threats against the movement of ships” through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Camp Le Monnier consists of 6 American bases for unmanned aerial vehicles, and it also includes a base for conventional aircraft and a squadron of McDonnell Douglas F-15A Strike Eagle fighter aircraft, capable of flying at high speed and carrying various ammunition.

Le Monnier base is located in the capital, Djibouti, 6 kilometers from the city center (Reuters)

the use

Camp Le Monnier was a pivotal stationing point for the French Legion in Africa during the French presence there, and with its transformation into an American base, it became a starting point for the American Marines, and a launching point for assassinations of figures that the United States of America included on its terrorism lists after the events of September 2001.

Among these operations is the assassination of Fahd Al-Qasa in 2012 in the Yemeni Shabwa Governorate, and Jamal Al-Badawi in 2019 in the Yemeni Ma’rib Governorate. They were accused of involvement in the attack on the US destroyer Cole in October 2000, and the assassination of Al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki in the Sana’a Governorate. In 2010, via a drone launched from Le Monnier base, following an attempt by Al-Qaeda in Yemen to blow up two planes heading to the United States of America.

The roles of the Le Monnier base have increased since 2020 to become a primary center for American aircraft, both conventional and unmanned, as this base supported several American operations related to combating terrorism, such as Operation “Copper Dunes,” which specialized in pursuing those wanted on the American terrorism lists in Yemen, and the operations that targeted the Al-Shabaab movement in Somalia. And Al-Qaeda in some Arab countries.

American operations increased the rate of monthly landings and take-offs at the base until it reached 768 in the years 2021 and 2022, and reached its peak in July 2022, reaching 1,666 landings and take-offs. This intense activity led to a series of collisions in the air off the Horn of Africa in 2021 between aircraft. An American drone and another belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

After the Al-Aqsa Flood

After the start of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle in October 2023, a number of ships in the Red Sea were attacked by the Houthis, which prompted the United States of America and Britain to respond and strike a number of positions of the Houthi group’s forces in Yemen.

This was followed by the deployment of Patriot air defense missiles at the Lemonnier base in January 2024, after the government of Djibouti allowed it, in a proactive step to protect the military base from Houthi missile attacks, some of which may have a range of up to 1,200 miles and operate. With liquid fuel.

Source: websites