DJIBOUTI
BASES (SEEMUNGAL) -- PBS NHWE -- MAY 2017
Djibouti is a tiny country of
850,000 people in the Horn of Africa, wedged between Ethiopia, Eritrea, and
Somalia. Its position, at the gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world’s
busiest shipping routes, allows shipping to keep the economy afloat. Its coastal
location has also made Djibouti a prized spot for military bases from countries
all over the world, including its former colonial ruler, France, for the United
States, and now China. NewsHour Weekend Special
Correspondent Martin Seemungal reports on how
Djibouti came to roll out a welcome mat to the world.
CREDITS:
PRODUCER/CORRESPONDENT: MARTIN SEEMUNGAL
ASSOCIATE
PRODUCER: TOM
RITZENTHALER
EDITOR: JASON STENECK/MARTIN SEEMUNGAL
CAMERA:
MARTIN
SEEMUNGAL
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Djibouti is one of the hottest, driest, places on Earth. Vast
areas are semi-arid desert. There are no natural resources. The official
unemployment rate is 50 percent. Life for many is difficult.
But Djibouti does have one very valuable asset
-- its location.
Where the Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden. A
crossroads to the Suez Canal, the Persian Gulf, the Indian Ocean, and the East
African coast. Strategic for countries from all over the world that have
military outposts here.
Entering Djibouti’s oldest port, you get the
first glimpse of the country’s main industry. That enormous ship and a dockside
full of containers has been the blueprint for its economy since gaining
independence from France in 1977.
This port was built by the French decades ago.
It has served Djibouti well, establishing this tiny nation as a player in the
shipping world. But it simply isn’t big enough to meet the ever growing
demand…and Djibouti’s ambitions.
Ilyas Dawaleh is the country’s Finance
Minister.
ILYAS DAWALEH: In our vision, from the east coast of Africa, Djibouti must and
should remain the largest and the most sophisticated service center in terms of
international shipping.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Djibouti’s second port opened nine years ago and now handles
nearly two million tons of container cargo a year. Seeing this
makes it easy to understand why shipping accounts for 80 percent of the
economy.
But an even bigger, newly constructed, port is
getting ready to open. It’s considered one of the most advanced ports in the
world. Those cranes represent the latest container lifting technology.
China paid for the multimillion dollar project
through state-owned companies. Djibouti's finance minister says China is more
willing than Western countries to take financial risks here.
ILYAS DAWALEH: Very, very, very, important. And we can even consider it really a
game changer partner.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Djibouti’s dream is to become for East Africa what Singapore is in
Southeast Asia -- a shipping and financial powerhouse.
ABDIRAHMAN AHMED: When that vision started in 2000, a lot of people they were kind
of laughing.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Abdirahman Ahmed is an
entrepreneur with a focus on renewable energy. He’s studied and worked abroad,
but he’s come home.
ABDIRAHMAN AHMED: 15 or 17 years later, then more and more people are now believing
in it, and they are saying, yes, it is feasible, and it is possible.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Djibouti's location puts it at the center of a multinational fight
against pirates based in neighboring Somalia...and in the war on terrorism.
Since 9/11 the United States has continually
expanded its troop presence to fight Islamic extremists in the region.
The U.S. combined Joint Task Force for the Horn
of Africa is the main American unit stationed at a former French colonial
military installation.
Camp Lemonnier is the
only U.S. military base on the entire continent of Africa and it is a critical
foothold in a particularly unstable part of Africa. It is home to anywhere
between two-and-three- thousand American military personnel.
The number of U.S. troops deployed here has
tripled in the past 15 years, as the base expanded to more than 600 acres...the
Pentagon is now spending 140 million dollars a year in Djibouti.
Navy Captain James Black is the base commander.
CAPTAIN JAMES BLACK: I describe it as a landlocked aircraft carrier or a landlocked amphib. We are self-contained, do our own water, our own
electricity. Feed our own people.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: For security reasons, Americans are not allowed to leave the base.
The tour of duty here is anywhere from nine months to a year. And it’s hot all
year, averaging 105 degrees in summer. Some of the amenities help: A gym.
Subway is here. There’s a small movie theater and a U.S. post office.
Camp Lemonnier has
become a Pentagon hub for sending Special Operations forces to conflict zones
like Somalia, Libya, and Yemen...and to operate drone missions.
Showcasing its importance, U.S Defense Secretary
Jim Mattis visited last month and met with Djibouti's
president, Ismail
Omar Guelleh, who’s now serving his fourth five-year term and first welcomed the
Americans in 2002.
His decision to allow the U.S military base here
was controversial. This is a predominantly Muslim nation...in a predominantly
Muslim region.
The week after the Mattis
visit, a ceremony at Camp Lemonnier illustrated just
how many other nations also have a military presence in Djibouti. France,
Italy, and Japan have bases here. In all, Djibouti collects about 150 million
dollars a year in rent.
Now, add China to the list. To protect its
economic interests in the region, China is building its first overseas military
base here, on track to be completed this year. That’s a Chinese navy frigate in
Djibouti’s harbor. The Chinese base will be just seven miles north of where the
Americans are.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Djibouti’s Foreign Minister admits that proximity startled some
people.
MAHAMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF: Some friends came to tell us, you know, there might be conflicting
interests between China and the United States and other countries. But we
responded quickly, saying that our motivation is mainly to assist and help
friendly countries to protect their interests.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: China will pay Djibouti 100 million dollars annually to use the
property. From the air, you can see a jetty, helicopter pad, at least 20 large
buildings on a 90 acre plot.
There are rumors, on the street and in
diplomatic circles, that eventually as many as 10-thousand Chinese soldiers
will be deployed here.
MAHAMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF: I always say, that’s fake news. Our agreement is very clear. Few
hundreds, jetty, and so on. I mean, there is no such big naval force presence
in Djibouti.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: However large it becomes, the Chinese military presence does not
appear to be a concern to the American Commander at Camp Lemonnier.
CAPTAIN JAMES BLACK: The few times that I have that I’ve personally interacted with
the Chinese, they’ve been extremely professional. My personnel are extremely
professional, and we’re all here in a small space trying to advance our
nation’s and our worlds interests together. And so we’re looking for
opportunities to cooperate.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: Despite all those bases and the booming shipping industry, many
people living in impoverished areas, like Balaba,
outside the capital, see very few benefits themselves.
Shemis Mohammed, who shares a shack with her seven grandchildren, says
she and her daughter cannot find work.
SHEMIS MOHAMMED: There is development going on, she says, but if you don’t know
someone in a position to help, you cannot get a job.
MARTIN SEEMUNGAL: The government estimates it will take at least another 20 years to
see any significant change.
In that original port -- with the big container
ship and the Chinese frigate -- Djibouti envisions a vibrant waterfront with
hotels and a convention center -- a magnet for tourism. It wants more cruise
ships than warships.
1 |
DJIBOUTI HARBOR MARTIN SEEMUNGAL SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT |
00:54 |
2 |
ILYAS DAWALEH FINANCE MINISTER, DJIBOUTI |
01:13, 02:08 |
3 |
DJIBOUTI PORT AUTHORITY |
01:47 |
4 |
ABDIRAHMAN AHMED ENTREPRENEUR |
2:40 |
5 |
CAMP LEMONNIER MARTIN SEEMUNGAL SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT |
03:17 |
6 |
CAPT. JAMES BLACK COMMANDING OFFICER, CAMP LEMONNIER |
03:53, 06:49 |
7 |
APRIL 23 |
04:39 |
8 |
MAHAMOUD ALI YOUSSOUF FOREIGN MINISTER, DJIBOUTI |
05:45 |
9 |
SHEMIS MOHAMMED |
07:30 |