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One of Those “Only in Djibouti” Days

by Eric Olander

Djibouti’s Chief of the General Staff of the Armies, Lieutenant General Zakaria Cheikh Ibrahim (photo), had a very busy day last Thursday hosting senior naval commanders from both China and the United States for a series of meetings that can only happen in the strategically located country on the Horn of Africa.

First, China’s newly-arrived PLA Navy commander at its base in Djibouti, Senior Captain Chen Kun, stopped by for an informal meet and greet. Then, later in the day, General Ibrahim joined Defense Minister Hassan Omar Mohamed for a meeting with Admiral Robert Burke, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa.

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