Iran-backed Houthis reportedly reach strategic island in key global shipping route

Simi Jolaoso
BBC Africa correspondent

On the opposite side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait from Yemen lies tiny Djibouti, whose location has made it one of the most strategically important countries in Africa.

The narrow waterway between the African coast and Yemen connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and, beyond it, the Suez Canal, making it a crucial route for ships travelling between Europe and Asia.

That would explain the unusual concentration of military power along Djibouti’s coastline.

The United States, China, France, Japan and Italy all operate military facilities there.

The US base at Camp Lemonnier supports around 4,000 US and allied