TOKYO: The Japanese government said Friday that it will use a Japanese Self-Defense Forces base in Djibouti, eastern Africa, as a base for operations related to protection and transportation of Japanese nationals.

The decision comes in response to a recent rise in evacuations of Japanese nationals from the Middle East and Africa.

The Djibouti base, which already serves as a base for the SDF’s anti-piracy operations, will be stocked with equipment needed for evacuations, as well as tasked with gathering information of the area.

Air SDF transport aircraft were on standby at the Djibouti base when Japanese nationals evacuated from Sudan in April and from Israel in October.

JIJI Press