France and Djibouti agree to renew their defense partnership
French President Emmanuel Macron and his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh agreed at a palace to renew the defense partnership between the two countries at the end of two years of negotiations.
A statement issued by the French presidency explained that the two presidents agreed to conclude discussions on the ambitious reform of the defense cooperation treaty, which provides a framework for the presence of the 1,500 French troops stationed in Djibouti, which is the largest for France abroad.
“The updated version of the defense cooperation treaty reflects the excellent relationship between the two countries, as well as the convergence of their strategic interests,” the statement said.
The announcement comes at a time when the France plans to reduce its military presence in West and Central Africa to a few hundred, following the successive expulsion of its troops from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
