Storm Clouds of War

In Africa, there was such a remarkable country.

It was Djibouti, known as the "Sentinel of the Oil Route." Situated at the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which guarded the entrance from the Red Sea into the Indian Ocean, it handled nearly one-third of the world's total shipping traffic each year.

Such an important location naturally could not escape the contest between great powers.

And that was indeed the case. Though it was a sovereign nation, Djibouti—the so-called sentinel of the oil route—was dotted with military bases built by other major powers in the name of "supply bases."

The largest of them was undoubtedly Camp Lemonnier.

Camp Lemonnier was America's largest military base in Africa. Located southwest of Djibouti International Airport, it had originally been used by France's Foreign Legion.

After the September 11 attacks, driven by counterterrorism needs, the United States carried out a series of political maneuvers and ultimately succeeded in "leasing" the base for the deployment of a United States Marine Corps joint task force.

Later, as the United States continued to wage wars in the Middle East, the base's importance became increasingly apparent.

By 2003, Camp Lemonnier had become America's only permanent military base in Africa.

The base covered more than 500 mu and included aprons, hangars, a combat center, an arsenal, vehicle maintenance facilities, training grounds, and recreational facilities.

After years of development, Camp Lemonnier had become a crucial strategic stronghold for American control over the Middle East, East Africa, and North Africa.

It was also an important command center for U.S. Africa Command. Thus, when the Autobots began pressing aggressively across Africa, Camp Lemonnier was the first to feel the pressure.

As a result, a video conference was convened.

Inside a conference room at Camp Lemonnier.

A white general with graying hair and four-star insignia