http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/05/06/Obama-U-S-secures-long-term-lease-for-Djibouti-base.html
AFP, Washington
Tuesday, 6 May 2014
The United States secured a ten-year lease Monday for a key military base
in Djibouti that it relies on to launch counter-terrorism missions,
including drone strikes, in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
U.S. President Barack Obama and his Djibouti counterpart Ismail Omar
Guelleh announced the renewed lease on Camp Lemonnier as they met at the
White House, vowing to counter al-Qaeda and Shabaab militants in the region.
Under the agreement, the United States would pay $63 million annually for a
ten-year lease, with an option to extend the arrangement for another
decade, administration officials said.
The new deal represents a major increase in rent, as the United States
reportedly pays $38 million a year under the current lease.
“Camp Lemonnier is extraordinarily important to our work throughout the
Horn of Africa but also throughout the region. We very much appreciate the
hospitality that Djiboutians provide,” Obama said.
“Overall, this is a critical facility that we maintain in Djibouti, we
could not do it without the president’s cooperation, we’re grateful for him
agreeing for a long term presence there,” he added.
Guelleh said his East African country and the United States were linked in
a “strategic partnership” to deal with “the fight against terrorism, piracy
and human trafficking in our region.”
The U.S. military uses Lemonnier, a base for around 4,000 U.S. and allied
personnel, as a crucial staging area for assaults on suspected Al-Qaeda
militants in Yemen and Shabaab forces in Somalia.
In a joint statement after the two presidents met, Obama promised more U.S.
assistance and equipment for Djibouti’s forces, including for troops
deploying to the African Union mission in Somalia.
Obama also pledged more development aid for Djibouti’s economy, including
help improving the country’s electricity network.
After al-Qaeda’s attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, the
U.S. presence has steadily increased at the Djibouti base, serving as a hub
for special operation forces and a growing fleet of armed and unarmed
drones as well as other aircraft.
U.S. officials, anxious to maintain a low-profile for the American military
in Africa, tends to divulge few details about operations at the base.
It is the biggest in a network of airfields in East Africa, including
runways in Uganda and Ethiopia, that the United States uses to counter
Al-Qaeda-linked militants in Somalia, Yemen and elsewhere.
Washington recently agreed to move its drone base in Djibouti from
Lemonnier, which is near the country’s international airport, to a more
remote location, following concerns over possible collisions between the
unmanned planes and commercial aircraft.
The base, originally created by the French Foreign Legion, was initially
seen as a temporary outpost after the 9/11 attacks but the U.S. military
has drafted long-term plans to keep operating out of Lemonnier.
The Pentagon reportedly has informed Congress of plans for a dramatic
expansion of its facilities in Djibouti, proposing more than a billion
dollars in construction projects.
Last Update: Tuesday, 6 May 2014 KSA 23:32 - GMT 20:32
Received on Tue May 06 2014 - 08:59:23 EDT