Inside France’s small but mighty force in Djibouti

Key.Aero, In an area as turbulent as it is strategic, Djibouti arouses the interest of many countries, sometimes with antagonistic interests. As the former colonial power, France boasts a small, but mighty force in the African nation, reports Frédéric Lert.

France’s presence in Djibouti dates back to 1892 and French military aircraft have been based in the territory since 1932. The African nation became independent in 1977 with the benevolent support of Paris, which is today linked to Djibouti by defence agreements, entrusting it with the protection of the country.

This mission mainly relies on Base Aérienne 188 (BA188, Air Base 188) ‘Colonel Émile Massart’ – a part of Djibouti International Airport – which hosts one fighter squadron, a transport squadron and an Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT, Land Army Light Aviation) detachment (or DETALAT). “Djibouti allows France to conduct and support operations in a strategic area between Africa and Asia-Pacific,” Col Olivier Saunier, commander of BA188, told AFM. Due to the regional situation, the 1,600 French soldiers deployed in the country (only 350 belong to BA188) are in a hybrid posture – between war and peace, training and OPEX (overseas combat operations).

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