Camp Lemonnier: Negotiating a Lease Agreement for a Key Military Base in Africa

By — on / Teaching Negotiation

Camp Lemonnier is a United States Naval Expeditionary Base located in Djibouti and is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa. Djibouti, bordering Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, has been home to Camp Lemonnier since the September 11, 2001 attacks prompted the United States to seek a temporary staging ground for U.S. Marines in the region. Since then, Camp Lemonnier has expanded to nearly 500 acres and is a base of unparalleled importance. The 2014 negotiations between the U.S and Djibouti over the lease renewal for Camp Lemonnier were complex and involved national security, public relations, and economic development issues.

New from the Teaching Negotiation Resource Center (TNRC), a simulation and a case study based on the real life negotiations around the lease renewal for Camp Lemonnier.

Camp Lemonnier – Role-Play Simulation 

This two party, three hour, non-scoreable negotiation is between the U.S. Defense Attaché and the Djiboutian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs over the potential lease renewal for a key strategic military base: Camp Lemonnier. Major lessons of this simulation include:

  • The importance of understanding the BATNA of all parties in a negotiation.
  • The impact of culture in negotiation.
  • Process management and agenda setting.
  • Principal-agent dynamics.
  • Uncovering sources of power in negotiation.

Preview a Camp Lemonnier Teacher’s Package to learn more about this simulation.

Camp Lemonnier Case Study – Case Study 

This case study, based on the real negotiations in 2014, can be taught in 30-60 minutes, and can be used with the Camp Lemonnier simulation, or on its own. Major lessons of this case study include:

  • Determining alternatives and the best alternative to a negotiated agreement.
  • Mapping the parties and issues in a negotiation.
  • Moving from positions to interests.
  • The impact of culture in negotiation.
  • The sustainability of a deal.
  • The role of power in a negotiation.

Preview a Camp Lemonnier Case Study Teacher’s Package to learn more about this case.

Please note that the Camp Lemonnier simulation and case study can be used together or separately, must be purchased separately.

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Take your training to the next level with the TNRC

The Teaching Negotiation Resource Center offers a wide range of effective teaching materials, including

TNRC negotiation exercises and teaching materials are designed for educational purposes. They are used in college classroom settings or corporate training settings; used by mediators and facilitators seeking to introduce their clients to a process or issue; and used by individuals who want to enhance their negotiation skills and knowledge.

Negotiation exercises and role-play simulations introduce participants to new negotiation and dispute resolution tools, techniques and strategies. Our videos, books, case studies, and periodicals are also a helpful way of introducing students to key concepts while addressing the theory and practice of negotiation and conflict management.

Which negotiation exercises have helped you? Let us know in the comments.

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