http://www.voanews.com/content/us-expands-presence-in-strategically-located-djibouti/1907900.html
US Expands Presence in Djibouti
Carolyn Presutti
May 05, 2014 11:52 AM
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama and Djibouti President Omar Guelleh,
meeting at the White House on Monday, promised to continue working together
to increase economic development and fight terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
The tiny East African country is strategic to the United States as a hub
for anti-terrorism efforts in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.
In a joint statement from the White House, the two leaders noted their
shared commitment to combat violent extremism, to counter piracy and to
secure Djibouti's borders. Obama announced the United States would increase
technical and financial aid for Djibouti civilian projects and, according
to the statement, would "provide enhanced security assistance and equipment
to Djiboutian security forces."
There are many who worry, however, about any pivot of U.S. foreign policy
toward what they call "the militarization" of Africa.
The Republic of Djibouti is a geographical gold mine. With its busy port,
it sits strategically in the Horn of Africa. It's across the Gulf of Aden
from Yemen and bordered by Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia -- making it a
prime counter-terrorism partner for the United States.
The country is home to 3,000 U.S. civilian and military personnel at Camp
Lemonnier, the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa, located next to
Djibouti International Airport. The U.S. pays $38 million a year to lease
the base.
"The U.S. has calculated that putting the money into what's seen as a
relatively stable country in a very strategic location with access to a lot
of unstable countries will pay off both in the near and the long term,"
said Joe Siegle, research director at the Africa Center for Strategic
Studies.
Anti-terrorism hub
Camp Lemonnier serves as an anti-terrorism hub for the Horn of Africa and
the Arabian Peninsula. Until recently, it was used to launch U.S. drone
strikes against suspected al-Qaida fighters.
Ben Fred-Mensah, who teaches international relations and government at
Howard University, said, "Terrorism is very much alive. As America always
says, 'It's better we fight them outside, than to wait and fight them at
home."
But Djibouti residents complained when five drones in three years crashed,
one just 1.5 kilometers from the capital, Djibouti City. So the U.S. moved
the drone fleet to another airstrip 13 kilometers from the airport.
For the U.S., investing in Djibouti is a matter of balance. Djibouti has a
less-than-stellar human rights record. Freedom House, a human rights
reporting agency, labeled Djibouti as "Not Free" in last year's Freedom in
the World report. It accused Guelleh of suppressing civil liberties and
ranked the nation's political rights near the bottom.
Opposition to military
Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of Pan-African News Wire, opposes the U.S.
military buildup. In a Skype interview, he said there's more at play than
terrorism.
"More and more oil is being imported there from Africa into the United
States, as well as other strategic minerals," Azikiwe said. "That, in our
opinion, is guiding this increased military presence."
Fred-Mensah said his opposition stems from his African roots. "I begin to
question whether we still enjoy our sovereignty or whether we are losing
our sovereignty because we are relatively weak," he said.
The Pentagon plans to spend more than $1 billion over the next 25 years to
expand and renovate Camp Lemonnier -- reaffirming its presence in Africa.
Carolyn Presutti
Carolyn Presutti is an award-winning television reporter who works out of
VOA's Washington headquarters. She has won an Emmy, many Associated Press
awards, and a Clarion for her coverage of Haiti, national politics, the
southern economy, and the 9/11 bombing anniversary. In 2013, Carolyn aired
exclusive stories on the Syrian medical crisis and the Asiana plane crash,
and was VOA's chief reporter from the Boston Marathon bombing.
Received on Mon May 05 2014 - 15:44:07 EDT