The Obama administration has announced a 10-year agreement with the East African nation of Djibouti to continue housing special forces and other troops at a military base that lies at the center of the U.S. drone wars. Djibouti has a population of less than one million, but forms the core of U.S. operations in the region. According to The Washington Post, in recent years, the Obama administration has “clandestinely transformed [Camp Lemonnier] into the busiest Predator drone base outside the Afghan war zone.” Obama emphasized the importance of the base during a meeting with Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh in the Oval Office.

President Obama: “So, overall, this is a critical facility that we maintain in Djibouti. We could not do it without the president’s cooperation. We’re grateful for him agreeing for a long-term presence there.”