The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second and final term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but is also developing stronger ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
Country profile: Djibouti
Controlling access to the Red Sea, Djibouti is of major strategic importance, a fact that has ensured a steady flow of foreign assistance.During the Gulf War it was the base of operations for the French military, who continue to maintain a significant presence.
France has thousands of troops as well as warships, aircraft and armoured vehicles in Djibouti, contributing directly and indirectly to the country's income. The US has stationed hundreds of troops in Djibouti, its only African base, in an effort to counter terrorism in the region.
Djibouti's location is the main economic asset of a country that is mostly barren. The capital, Djibouti city, handles Ethiopian imports and exports. Its transport facilities are used by several landlocked African countries to fly in their goods for re-export. This earns Djibouti much-needed transit taxes and harbour fees.
After independence from France in 1977, Djibouti was left with a government which enjoyed a balance between the two main ethnic groups, the Issa of Somali origin and the Afar of Ethiopian origin.
But the country's first president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, installed an authoritarian one-party state dominated by his own Issa community. Afar resentment erupted into a civil war in the early 1990s, and though Mr Gouled, under French pressure, introduced a limited multi-party system in 1992, the rebels from the Afar party, the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Frud), were excluded.
Thus, Mr Gouled's Popular Rally for Progress party won every seat and the war went on. It ended in 1994 with a power-sharing deal which brought the main faction of Frud into government. A splinter, radical faction continued to fight until 2000, when it too signed a peace deal with the government of Gouled's successor, Ismael Omar Guelleh.
- Full name: The Republic of Djibouti
- Population: 721,000 (UN, 2005)
- Capital: Djibouti
- Area: 23,200 sq km (8,950 sq miles)
- Major languages: French, Arabic, Somali, Afar
- Major religion: Islam
- Life expectancy: 51 years (men), 54 years (women) (UN)
- Monetary unit: 1 Djiboutian franc = 100 centimes
- Main exports: Re-exports, hides and skins, coffee (re-exported from Ethiopia)
- GNI per capita: US $1,020 (World Bank, 2006)
- Internet domain: .dj
- International dialling code: +253
President: Ismael Omar Guelleh
Mr Guelleh, known in Djibouti by his initials, IOG, won a second term in one-man presidential elections in April 2005. The opposition did not field a candidate.
His campaign included promises to tackle poverty and reduce Djibouti's dependence on food imports. He said he would step down at the end of his second term, in keeping with the constitution.
Ismael Omar Guelleh succeeded his uncle and Djibouti's first president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in April 1999 at the age of 52. He was elected in a multi-party ballot which was not contested by Mr Aptidon.
Mr Guelleh supports Djibouti's traditionally strong ties with France and has tried to reconcile the different factions in neighbouring Somalia.
The government owns the principal newspaper, La Nation, as well as Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti (RTD), which operates the national radio and TV. There are no private broadcasters.
The government closely controls all electronic media. Private newspapers and other publications are generally allowed to circulate freely, but journalists exercise self-censorship. The official media are uncritical of the government.
A powerful mediumwave (AM) transmitter in the country broadcasts US-sponsored Arabic-language Radio Sawa programmes to East Africa and Arabia. Local FM relays carry BBC and Voice of America broadcasts.
The press
Radio
Television
News agency
The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in northeast Africa. Two-thirds of the inhabitants live in the capital city; the remainder are mostly nomadic herders. Scanty rainfall limits crop production to fruits and vegetables, and most food must be imported. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. Djibouti has few natural resources and little industry. The nation is, therefore, heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects. An unemployment rate of at least 50% continues to be a major problem. While inflation is not a concern, due to the fixed tie of the Djiboutian franc to the US dollar, the artificially high value of the Djiboutian franc adversely affects Djibouti's balance of payments. Per capita consumption dropped an estimated 35% over the last seven years because of recession, civil war, and a high population growth rate (including immigrants and refugees). Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen in arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
Djiboutian natural resources include geothermal areas, gold, clay, granite, limestone, marble, salt, diatomite, gypsum, pumice, petroleum
strategic location near world's busiest shipping lanes and close to Arabian oilfields; terminus of rail traffic into Ethiopia; mostly wasteland; Lac Assal (Lake Assal) is the lowest point in Africa
Djiboutian religion is Muslim 94%, Christian 6%.
Natural hazards in Djibouti include earthquakes; droughts; occasional cyclonic disturbances from the Indian Ocean bring heavy rains and flash floods.
Travel Advice on Djibouti
SUMMARY
- Djibouti shares with the rest of the region a high threat from terrorism. We continue to receive information that you are at risk from terrorist attacks in areas frequented by Westerners.
- There is no British Embassy in Djibouti and the Honorary Consul can offer only limited assistance.
- You should be aware of the risk of banditry if travelling outside the capital city.
- We strongly recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for the activities you want to undertake. Please see: Travel Insurance
SAFETY AND SECURITY
Incidences of petty crime are not uncommon in Djibouti. We advise against walking around town alone, late at night. Valuables, particularly cameras and passports should be kept out of sight.
You should be aware of the risk of banditry if travelling outside the capital city.
Political Situation
Djibouti Country Profile.
Local Travel
You should avoid travelling outside of the cityafter dark, as vehicles often have no lights and livestock may be roaming the roads.
Rail Safety
Sabotage and derailment on the Djibouti/Ethiopia railway occasionally occur. In September 2003 a bomb exploded on a train, killing two people. If you intend to travel into the Republic of Djibouti by rail you should check with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa on the current situation before setting off.
Sea Safety
Mariners should be aware that incidents of piracy have been reported in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and are advised to exercise vigilance and seek local advice.
LOCAL LAWS AND CUSTOMS
French is widely spoken as is Arabic and Somali.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
British nationals applying for a Djibouti visa in Ethiopia generally require a letter from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa for presentation at the Djibouti Embassy. There is a fee for this service payable in local currency.
Single parents or other adults travelling alone with children should be aware that some countries require documentary evidence of parental responsibility before allowing lone parents to enter the country, or in some cases, before permitting the children to leave the country. For further information on exactly what will be required at immigration, please contact the French Embassy in London.
There is a 20 US Dollars departure tax at the airport.
HEALTH
You should seek medical advice before travelling and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up to date. For further information on health, check the Department of Health’s website at www.dh.gov.uk.
Since early April 2006, Djibouti has had three confirmed cases of poultry deaths from Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). There has also been one confirmed case of human infection and two further suspected cases. No human deaths have been reported.
GENERAL
There is no British Embassy in Djibouti. The British Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is responsible for Britain's relations with Djibouti.
The Honorary Consul in Djibouti, Mr Alain Martinet, can offer only limited assistance. Most consular cases and renewals of passports are handled by the British Embassy in Addis Ababa, however the Honorary Consul can accept passport applications and forward them to Addis Ababa.
Credit cards are accepted at only a very few outlets in Djibouti and it is not possible to obtain currency advances against a credit card. Visitors should ensure they have an adequate supply of hard currency or travellers' cheques.
British nationals living and working in Djibouti should register with the Consulate on first arrival. Those who are already registered should make sure that their details are kept up to date.