Middle Eastern Base Race in North-Eastern Africa

FOI Memo 6809 (Swedish Defence Research Institute, Studies in African Security), August 2019

Middle Eastern states are increasing their military presence in Africa. Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two influential Sunni powers with contrary views on regional order and political Islam, are expanding their foothold in north-eastern Africa.

Turkey has opened a military training facility in Somalia and may build a naval dock for military use in Sudan. The UAE has established bases in Eritrea and Libya, and is currently constructing a base in Somaliland. However, Turkey and UAE are not the only Middle Eastern countries with a military presence in Africa. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, and Iran, also seem to have military activities on the Horn of Africa.

This text is a part of a FOI report Foreign military bases and installations in Africa. Twelve state actors are included in the report: China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and United States.

An interesting read! For more: Middle Eastern Base Race in North-Eastern Africa.