France has formally returned 40% of its naval-base infrastructure on Djibouti’s Héron Island to the Djiboutian Armed Forces, implementing a key provision of the two countries’ renewed defense treaty.
The handover took place on November 3 during a ceremony in Djibouti City, alongside a financing agreement to modernize Djibouti’s military capabilities, according to ADI.
The transfer fulfills Article 5 of the France-Djibouti Defense Cooperation Treaty signed in Paris on July 24, 2024 by Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Ismail Omar Guelleh. That agreement required France to return 40% of the Héron Island installation within 24 months of signature, without compensation.
The treaty entered into force on September 1, 2025, and is intended to run for 20 years. It also raised France’s annual contribution to Djibouti from 30 million euros to 85 million euros, covering facilities, training support, and the broader French military presence.
The returned area is principally the northeastern section of Héron Island, including former collective housing facilities, while France retains the operational naval site at the island’s tip. French parliamentary documents say the handover should not impair French military operations because the transferred zones are largely non-operational.
The base supports French naval operations in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including commando facilities, vessel berthing, and evacuation-related operations. France’s forces in Djibouti, its largest overseas military base, number roughly 1,450 to 1,500 personnel.
Under the accompanying financing convention, funds will support infrastructure and measures intended to strengthen the operational capacity of Djibouti’s armed forces. The handover follows a 2026-2028 partnership plan adopted in June and reflects Djibouti’s push to convert parts of the strategically located Héron area into civilian and commercial development.
The transfer comes as France and Djibouti maintain a close security partnership in a region where maritime traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains exposed to instability linked to the conflict involving Yemen’s Houthi movement.
