Djibouti's strategic location by the
Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the
Gulf of Aden from the
Red Sea and controls the approaches to the
Suez Canal, has made it a desirable location for foreign military bases.
Camp Lemonnier was abandoned by the French and later leased to the
United States Central Command in September 2002. The lease was renewed in 2014 for another 20 years.
[85] The
French Foreign Legion's 13 DBLE is still stationed in Djibouti as the largest French military presence abroad, the only one commanded by a
3-star general. The country also hosts the only overseas
Chinese support base and the only overseas
Japanese military base.
[86] The Italian National Support Military Base is also located in Djibouti.
[87]
The hosting of foreign military bases is an important part of Djibouti's economy. The United States pays $63 million a year to rent Camp Lemonnier,
[86] France and Japan each pay about $30 million a year,
[88] and China pays $20 million a year.
[86] The lease payments added up to more than 5% of Djibouti's GDP of US$2.3 billion in 2017.