PARIS — Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris for high-level diplomatic and strategic security discussions focused on the growing security challenges around the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
The summit placed particular emphasis on maritime defense, international commercial shipping and intelligence cooperation around the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the wider Horn of Africa.
The meeting comes amid increasing security concerns along the Red Sea maritime corridor, one of the world's most important commercial shipping routes. Approximately 12 percent of global seaborne trade passes through the corridor, making stability around the waterway a major international concern.
Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the 2024 Bilateral Defence Cooperation Agreement, which provides the framework for France's military presence in Djibouti.
The Djiboutian presidency stressed the strategic importance of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, describing it as a vital artery for global commerce and emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability, counter-terrorism effectiveness and unrestricted maritime movement.
Several outcomes emerged from the summit, including plans to expand naval patrolling protocols and modernize radar-monitoring installations along the Djiboutian coast.
The two countries are also expected to begin joint counter-piracy exercises during the final quarter of 2026.
President Macron praised Djibouti's continuing role as an anchor of stability in a volatile region and reaffirmed France's commitment to supporting the country's national defense infrastructure.
The summit underscores the strategic importance of Djibouti's location and the continued role of France in regional security cooperation.
