BASIC INFORMATION
Full Country Name: The Republic of Djibouti
Country Profile: Djibouti
Area: 23,200 sq km
Population: 496 374 (2007 estimate)
Capital city: Djibouti
People: Somalis (Issa) 60%, Afar 35%, French, Arab, Ethiopian and Italian 5%
Language(s): French, (official), Arabic (official), Somali, Afar
Religion(s): Muslim 94%, Christian 6%
Currency: Djiboutian Franc
Major political parties: Union for a Presidential Majority (UMP) consisting of the old Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progres (RPP) and Front pour la Restauration de la Democratie (FRUD). Union for a Democratic Alternative (UAD) consisting of 3 opposition parties
Government: UMP
Head of State: President Ismail Omar Guelleh
Prime Minister/Premier: Dilleita Mohamed Dilleita
Foreign Minister: Mahamoud Ali Youssouf
Membership of international groupings/organisations: United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), League of Arab States (LAS), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
GEOGRAPHY
Djibouti borders Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia and is strategically located at the strait that links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. It has a very hot dry climate with less than 150mm of rainfall annually.
HISTORY
Djibouti was first known as French Somaliland when it was established as a French colony in1888. Independence came relatively late: in 1967 a majority of the population voted in a referendum to remain part of the French Community. The country was then renamed the French Territory of the Afars and Issas (the two principal ethnic groups). Djibouti gained independence in 1977.
Hassan Gouled Aptidon (an Issa-Somali) became the first President and remained in charge until he opted to step down in 1999. He established a one party state dominated by the Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progres (RPP). From1991-6 the Afars in the North of the country conducted a rebellion against the government, led by the Front pour la Restauration de l'Unite et de la Democratie (FRUD). The civil war ended with the signature of peace and national reconciliation accords in 1996. Ahmed Dini, who led the Afar insurgency from 1991 to 1994, signed an agreement with the government in 2001 and led an opposition party until his death in 2004.
POLITICS
Ismail Omar Guelleh succeeded his uncle, Hasan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999. He won the April 1999 Presidential elections as the RPP candidate with 74% of the vote. Political parties (legalised in 1992) have since become more diverse: the RPP joined with FRUD to form a new ruling coalition, l'Union pour la Majorite Presidentielle (UMP). Four opposition parties formed L'Union pour l'Alternative Democratique (UAD) to contest parliamentary elections in January 2003. The UMP took 62.7% of the votes but won all 65 seats in the Chamber of Deputies due to Djibouti's unusual first-past-the-post list system. The UAD claimed extensive vote rigging and manipulation of constituency boundaries. Presidential elections were held on 8 April 2005. Guelleh stood unopposed as the UMP candidate and claimed 96.85% of the vote on a 78.9% turn out. The opposition UAD failed to field a candidate and called for a boycott of the polls. They have disputed the high turn out figure. Guelleh is now serving his second six-year term and will not be eligible to stand in the presidential elections due for 2011. The next parliamentary elections are due for January 2008.
HUMAN RIGHTS
Djibouti has ratified only two of the six core International Human Rights Treaties – the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
Human Rights Annual Report 2006
ECONOMY
Basic Economic Facts
GDP: US$702 million (2005 estimate)
Annual Growth: 1.6% (World Bank 2002)
Inflation: 3.2% (2005 estimate)
Major Industries: The economy is based on service activities connected with the country's strategic location and status as a free trade zone in north-east Africa.
Major trading partners: Ethiopia, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, France and Thailand
Aid & development: Djibouti is heavily dependent on foreign assistance.
The economy relies almost entirely on (1) revenues from agreements underpinning military bases of France and the coalition Task Force and (2) the port of Djibouti and its development as a commercial and service centre. The new port of Doraleh is intended to boost Djibouti’s role as a commercial hub at the mouth of the Red Sea. Djibouti lacks any significant natural resources other than fishing grounds, geothermal potential and some mining activity. An unemployment rate of around 50% continues to be a major problem as does the national fixation with khat (a mild narcotic leaf chewed widely by the Somali community). As elsewhere in the region there are social issues of HIV/AIDS and FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) that need to be addressed.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Djibouti's hosts the Secretariat of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). Relations with Ethiopia centre on Ethiopia’s use of Djibouti port for the major part of its imports and exports. Relations with Eritrea have recently improved after a difficult patch preceding and during the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia (1998-2000). Djibouti takes a close interest in Somalia. Guelleh sponsored the Arta peace conference of 2000 and supported the Transitional National Government (TNG) that emerged. Since the failure of the TNG, Djibouti has continued to engage with the Nairobi-based IGAD Somali peace process. It has also developed working relations with the authorities in Somaliland which fall short of full recognition.
Djibouti has very close links with France which provides significant amounts of aid and financial support. 2700 French troops remain stationed in Djibouti under agreements signed at independence. Djibouti also hosts 1,800 US troops and is the headquarters of the US led Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) which support counter terrorism activities in the region.
RELATIONS WITH THE UK
Diplomatic Representation
UK representation in Djibouti
Djiboutian representation in the UK
The UK is represented in Djibouti by an Honorary Consul, supported by our Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Djiboutian diplomatic representation in the UK is covered by their Embassy in Paris.
Recent Visits
The Minister for Africa, Chris Mullin, visited Djibouti for talks in January 2004.
For parliamentary interest, see the Hansard website.
TRAVEL
Travel Advice: Djibouti
Health requirements:
Last reviewed: 14 June 2007
