The crisis in Sudan has worsened and has already left hundreds dead. Fighting between the Rapid Support Forces, known by its acronym in English RSF, and the Sudanese army reached the capital Khartoum. Foreign representations were attacked and, among the dead and wounded, are even employees of UN humanitarian agencies. In this scenario, several countries, such as the USA and France, began the total evacuation of their citizens. To understand this process, we need to look at an interesting situation in a small country in the region.
The Sudanese scenario was the subject of the penultimate column here in our international politics space. The crisis, from the beginning, has international involvement, with the interests of the Wagner group, linked to the Russian government. As tensions escalate, we have evidence of active intervention by Egypt, an ally of the Sudanese military government. About two hundred Egyptian servicemen were taken prisoner by the RSF, and an Egyptian air force fighter plane was destroyed by the rebels.
Neighboring Ethiopia is also actively involved in the conflict, for two reasons. First, the border divergence between Ethiopia and Sudan. The Sudanese crisis represents an opportunity for an eventual Ethiopian occupation of territories that belong to Sudan but are contested by Ethiopia. Second, Sudanese instability is interesting for Ethiopia, as relations between the two countries are in crisis, due to the use of water from the Nile River, with the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance hydroelectric plant.
military operations
In this crisis, Egypt is allied with Sudan, as countries downstream of the Nile, while Uganda supports Ethiopia, as countries upstream of the river. And there is another country in the current crisis equation, tiny Djibouti. There is the military base of Camp Lemonnier, the only permanent US military base on the African continent, which has a garrison and an air base. It was from this base that the US government carried out the operation to evacuate its citizens and part of its diplomatic corps in Sudan.
A similar operation was carried out by France, from its base also in Djibouti, the former imperial power that controlled the territory. It is the largest French military base outside its European territory. The base has land, air, and sea components. The two mentions are not necessarily surprising, as they are the bases of the greatest military power on the planet and the former colonial power in the region. In fact, the current US base is on the site of the former French base in Djibouti.
Those aren’t the only foreign military presences in the small African country, however. Italy, another NATO country, has had a permanent deployment in the country since 2014. The Italians also carried out an operation to evacuate their citizens from Sudan. Years earlier, in 2011, Japan inaugurated its military base in Djibouti. With six hundred soldiers, the base has naval and air components. It is Japan’s first and, to date, only permanent overseas military base.
In 2017, the Chinese military base in Djibouti was inaugurated. The installation represented a strategic shift, being the first overseas Chinese military base. With about 1,500 soldiers, it represents one end of the so-called String of Pearls, the planned chain of Chinese air-naval bases that will go from the mainland to Africa, covering the South China Sea, Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. . The Chinese base was the subject of tensions and protests by the US and Japan.
location as wealth
What explains so many foreign bases in the small African country? For the powers, it means force projection, logistical support and bases to combat piracy that threatens maritime traffic through Africa. As for Djibouti, it mainly represents economic currency. The country is at the bottom of almost all international indexes. One of the smallest countries, with less population, small gross domestic product and low human development index. The great wealth of the country is its location.
The country controls the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a natural bottleneck between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea. Virtually all ships passing through the Suez Canal pass through there, and Djibouti is an important refueling port. The port is also the main outlet for exports from neighboring countries such as landlocked Ethiopia. From the territory of Djibouti, it is possible to guarantee the safety of the canal and of ships transiting through the Horn of Africa. Or else threaten that same security.
Due to its port importance, Djibouti has a large share of the services sector in its economy. The powers pay initial contributions and rents for the bases, constituting a source of income for the country. Unfortunately, not all of this money benefits the population, as the government has been a corrupt dictatorship since independence in 1977. The current president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, succeeded his uncle in 1999.
Another benefit of foreign bases in the country is the fact that they serve as a deterrent against possible aggressions from stronger neighboring countries, such as Eritrea or the aforementioned Ethiopia. The point is that the current crisis in Sudan, a large country rich in mineral resources, also serves to illustrate the geopolitical importance of countries that are diametrically different. Like small, poor and little-known Djibouti.
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