Djibouti Military - 2022

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

Military and security forces

Djibouti Armed Forces (FAD): Army, Navy, Air Force; Djibouti Coast Guard; Ministry of Interior: National Gendarmerie, National Police (2022)

note: the National Police is responsible for security within Djibouti City and has primary control over immigration and customs procedures for all land border-crossing points, while the National Gendarmerie is responsible for all security outside of Djibouti City, as well as for protecting critical infrastructure within the city, such as the international airport

Military expenditures

3.5% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $180 million)

3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $160 million)

3.3% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $150 million)

2.7% of GDP (2016 est.) (approximately $120 million)

2.5% of GDP (2015 est.) (approximately $110 million)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 10,000 active troops (8,000 Army; 250 Naval; 250 Air; 1,500 Gendarmerie) (2022)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAD is armed largely with older French and Soviet-era weapons systems; since 2010, it has received limited amounts of mostly second-hand equipment from a variety of countries, including China and the US (2021)

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2021)

Military deployments

960 Somalia (ATMIS) (2022)

Military - note

as of 2022, China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintained bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance (note – France has multiple bases and hosts troop contingents from Germany and Spain); the EU and NATO have also maintained a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts; in 2017, Djibouti and Saudi Arabia announced plans for the Saudis to build a military base there, although no start date was announced

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Center (PRC) received one incident of piracy and armed robbery in 2021 for the Horn of Africa; while there were no recorded incidents, the IMB PRC warned that Somali pirates continue to possess the capacity to carry out attacks in the Somali basin and wider Indian Ocean; in particular, the report warns that, "Masters and crew must remain vigilant and cautious when transiting these waters."; the presence of several naval task forces in the Gulf of Aden and additional anti-piracy measures on the part of ship operators, including the use of on-board armed security teams, contributed to the drop in incidents; the EU naval mission, Operation ATALANTA, continues its operations in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean through 2022; naval units from China, India, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, the US, and other countries also operate in conjunction with EU forces; China has established a base in Djibouti to support its deployed naval units in the Horn of Africa

NOTE: The information regarding Djibouti on this page is re-published from the 2022 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Djibouti 2022 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Djibouti 2022 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.