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BACKGROUND NOTES:  DJIBOUTI
PUBLISHED BY THE BUREAU OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS
US DEPARTMENT OF STATE

DECEMBER 1993
Official Name:  Republic of Djibouti

PROFILE

Geography
Area:  23,200 sq. km. (9,000 sq mi.); about the size of New
Hampshire.
Cities:  Capital--Djibouti.  Other cities--Dikhil, Ali-Sabieh, Obock,
Tadjoura.
Terrain:  Coastal desert.
Climate:  Torrid and dry.

People
Nationality:  Noun and adjective--Djiboutian(s).
Population (est.): 520,000.
Annual growth rate:  6%.
Ethnic groups:  Somalis (Issaks, Issas, and Gadaboursis), Ethiopian
(Issas and Afars), Arab, French, and Italian.
Religions:  Muslim 94%, Christian 6%.
Languages:  French and Arabic (official); Somali and Afar widely
used.
Education:  Literacy--20%.
Health:  Infant mortality rate--204/1,000.  Life expectancy--48 yrs.
Work force:  Small number of semi-skilled laborers at port, 3,000
railway workers organized.  The majority of the population is not
formally employed.

Government
Type:  Republic.
Constitution:  Ratified September 1992 by referendum.
Independence:  June 27, 1977.
Branches:  Executive--president.  Legislative--65-member
parliament, cabinet, prime minister.  Judicial--based on French civil
law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law.
Administrative subdivisions:  5 cercles (districts)--Ali-Sabieh,
Dikhil, Djibouti, Obock, and Tadjoura.
Political parties:  Peoples Progress Assembly (RPP) established in
1981; New Democratic Party (PRD) and the National Democratic
Party (PND) were both established in 1992.
Suffrage:  Universal at 18.
National holiday:  June 27.
Flag:  A white triangle, with a five-pointed red star within,
extending on the staff side.  The remaining area has a light blue zone
above a light green zone.

Economy
GNP (1992 est.):  $260 million.
Adjusted per capita income:  $500 per capita, $250 for Djiboutians.
Natural resources:  Minerals (salt, gypsum, limestone) and energy
resources (geothermal and solar).
Agriculture:  (Less than 3% of GDP)  Products--livestock, fishing,
and limited commercial crops, including fruits and vegetables.
Industry:  Types--banking and insurance (40% of GDP), public
administration (34% of GDP), construction and public works,
manufacturing, commerce, and agriculture.
Trade (1992  est.):  Imports (excluding special transactions)--$209
million (an estimated 80% of GDP).  Exports--$23 million; consists
of hides and skins, transit of coffee, container port activity.  Major
markets--France, Ethiopia, Arabian peninsula countries.
Official exchange rate:  Fixed at 177 Djibouti francs=U.S.$1 since
1977.


PEOPLE
More than half of the Republic of Djibouti's 520,000 inhabitants live
in the capital city.  The indigenous population is divided between the
majority Somalis (predominantly of the Issa tribe, with minority
Issak and Gadaboursi representation) and the Afars (Danakils).  All
are Cushitic-speaking peoples, and nearly all are Muslim.  Among the
15,000 foreigners residing in Djibouti, the French are the most
numerous.


HISTORY
The Republic of Djibouti gained its independence on June 27, 1977.
It is the successor to the French Territory of the Afars and Issas,
which was created in the first half of the 19th century as a result
of French interest in the Horn of Africa.

However, the history of Djibouti, recorded in poetry and songs of its
nomadic peoples, goes back thousands of years to a time when
Djiboutians traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of
ancient Egypt, India, and China.  Through close contacts with the
Arabian peninsula for more than 1,000 years, the Somali and Afar
tribes in this region became the first on the African continent to
adopt Islam.

It was Rochet d'Hericourt's exploration into Shoa (1839-42) that
marked the beginning of French interest in the African shores of the
Red Sea.  Further exploration by Henri Lambert, French Consular
Agent at Aden, and Captain Fleuriot de Langle led to a treaty of
friendship and assistance between France and the sultans of Raheita,
Tadjoura, and Gobaad, from whom the French purchased the
anchorage of Obock (1862).

Growing French interest in the area took place against a backdrop of
British activity in Egypt and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
In 1884-85, France expanded its protectorate to include the shores
of the Gulf of Tadjoura and the hinterland, designating the area
French Somaliland. Boundaries of the protectorate, marked out in
1897 by France and Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia, were affirmed
further by agreements with Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I in
1945 and 1954.

The administrative capital was moved from Obock to Djibouti in
1896.  Djibouti, which has a good natural harbor and ready access to
the Ethiopian highlands, attracted trade caravans crossing East
Africa as well as Somali settlers from the south. The Franco-
Ethiopian railway, linking Djibouti to the heart of Ethiopia, was
begun in 1897 and reached Addis Ababa in June 1917, further
facilitating the increase of trade.

During the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia in the 1930s
and during World War II, constant border skirmishes occurred
between French and Italian forces.  The area was ruled by the Vichy
(French) government from the fall of France until December 1942,
when French Somaliland forces broke a Vichy blockade to join the
Free French and the Allied forces.  A local battalion from Djibouti
participated in the liberation of France in 1944.

On July 22, 1957, the colony was reorganized to give the people
considerable self-government.  On the same day, a decree applying
the Overseas Reform Act (Loi Cadre) of June 23, 1956, established a
territorial assembly that elected eight of its members to an
executive council.  Members of the executive council were
responsible for one or more of the territorial services and carried
the title of minister.  The council advised the French-appointed
governor general.

In a September 1958 constitutional referendum, French Somaliland
opted to join the French community as an overseas territory.  This
act entitled the region to representation by one deputy and one
senator in the French Parliament, and one counselor in the French
Union Assembly.  Upon the demise of the assembly, the territory was
assigned a seat on the UN Economic and Social Council.

The first elections to the territorial assembly were held on
November 23, 1958, under a system of proportional representation.
In the next assembly elections (1963), a new electoral law was
enacted by the French national assembly. Proportional
representation was abolished in exchange for a system of straight
plurality vote based on lists submitted by political parties in seven
designated districts.  Ali-Sabieh Aref Bourhan, an Afar, was
selected to be the president of the executive council.

French President Charles de Gaulle's August 1966 visit to Djibouti
was marked by 2 days of public demonstrations by Somalis
demanding independence.  On September 21, 1966, Louis Saget,
appointed governor general of the territory after the
demonstrations, announced the French Government's decision to hold
a referendum to determine whether the people would remain within
the French Republic or become independent.  In March 1967, 60%
chose to continue the territory's association with France.

In July of that year, a directive from Paris formally changed the
name of the region to the French Territory of Afars and Issas.  The
directive also reorganized the governmental structure of the
territory, making the senior French representative, formerly the
governor general, a high commissioner.  In addition, the executive
council was redesignated as the council of government, with nine
members.

In 1975, the French Government began to accommodate increasingly
insistent demands for independence.  In June 1976, the territory's
citizenship law, which favored the Afar minority, was revised to
reflect more closely the weight of the Issa Somali.  The electorate
voted for independence in a May 1977 referendum, and the Republic
of Djibouti was established on June 27, 1977.


GOVERNMENT
In 1981, Hassen Gouled Aptidon was elected as President of Djibouti.
He was re-elected, unopposed, to a second 6-year term in April 1987
and to a third 6-year term in May 1993 multiparty elections.  The
electorate approved the current constitution in September 1992.
Many laws and decrees from before independence remain in effect.

In early 1992, the government decided to permit multiple party
politics and agreed to the registration of four political parties.  By
the time of the national assembly elections in December 1992, only
three had qualified.  They are the Rassemblement Populaire Pour le
Progres (RPP) which was the only legal party from 1981 until 1992,
the Parti du Renouveau Democratique (PRD), and the Parti National
Democratique (PND). Only the RPP and the PRD contested the national
assembly elections, and the PND withdrew, claiming that there were
too many unanswered questions on the conduct of the elections and
too many opportunities for government fraud.  The RPP won all 65
seats in the national assembly, with a turnout of less than 50% of
the electorate.

Political power is shared by a Somali president and an Afar prime
minister, with cabinet posts roughly divided.  However, it is the
Issas who presently dominate the government, civil service, and the
ruling party, a situation that has bred resentment and political
competition between the Somali Issas and the Afars.

In early November 1991, civil war erupted in Djibouti between
Djibouti's major tribes.  The conflict may force the government to
democratize at a rate faster than was originally planned.

Djibouti has its own armed forces, including a small army, which
has grown significantly since the start of the civil war. The
country's security also is assured by the continued presence of some
4,000 French troops, which includes a unit of the French Foreign
Legion.

The right to own property is respected in Djibouti, as are freedom of
religion and organized labor; the government has established a
national union under its control.

Although women in Djibouti enjoy a higher public status than in
many other Islamic countries, women's rights and family planning
are not high priorities.  Few women hold senior positions.  However,
a women's organization (Union Nationale des Femmes de Djibouti) is
active.

Principal Government Officials

President--Hassan Gouled Aptidon
Prime Minister, in charge of Regional and National Development--
Barkat Gourad Hamadou
Foreign Affairs and Cooperation--Abdov Bolock Abdov
Ambassador to the United Nations and the United States--Robleh
Olhaye Oudine

Djibouti's mission to the UN is located at 866 UN Plaza, Suite 4011,
New York, NY 10017.  Djibouti's embassy in Washington is located at
Suite 515, 1156 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 (tel. 202-
331-0270).


ECONOMY
Djibouti's fledgling economy depends on a large foreign expatriate
community, the maritime and commercial activities of the Port of
Djibouti, its airport, and the operation of the Addis Ababa-Djibouti
railroad.  Since the advent of civil war in November 1991, there has
been a diversion of government budgetary resources from
developmental and social services to military needs.  Agriculture
and industry are little developed, in part due to the harsh climate,
high production costs, unskilled labor, and limited natural resources.
Only a few mineral deposits exist in the country, and the arid soil is
unproductive--89% is desert wasteland, 10% is pasture, and 1% is
forested.  Services and commerce provide most of the gross
domestic product.

Djibouti's most important economic asset is its strategic location
on the shipping routes between the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian
Ocean--the republic lies on the west side of the Bab-el-Mandeb,
which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.  Its port remains
an important container shipment and transshipment point on the
shipping lanes transiting the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.  It also
functions as a bunkering port and a small French naval facility.  The
decision by the Saudi Arabian Government to improve its own port
facilities in Jeddah and Ethiopia's decision to promote its port at
Assab recently have decreased the volume of economic activity for
the Port of Djibouti.

The Addis Ababa-Djibouti railroad is the only line serving central
and southeastern Ethiopia.  The single-track railway--a prime
source of employment--occupies a prominent place in Ethiopia's
internal distribution system for domestic commodities such as
cement, cotton textiles, sugar, cereals, and charcoal.

Principal exports from the region transiting Djibouti are coffee,
salt, hides, dried beans, cereals, other agricultural products, wax,
and salt.  Djibouti itself has few exports, and the majority of its
imports come from France.  Most imports are consumed in Djibouti,
and the remainder goes to Ethiopia and northern Somalia.  Djibouti's
unfavorable balance of trade is offset partially by invisible earnings
such as transit taxes and harbor dues.

The city of Djibouti has the only paved airport in the republic.
Djibouti has one of the most liberal economic regimes in Africa,
with almost unrestricted banking and commerce sectors.


FOREIGN RELATIONS
Military and economic agreements with France provide continued
security and economic assistance.  Links with Arab states are also
welcome.

Because Djibouti is greatly affected by events that occur in Somalia
and Ethiopia, and vice versa, relations are delicate.  With the fall of
the Siad Barre and Mengistu Governments in Somalia and Ethiopia in
1991, Djibouti found itself faced with national security threats due
to neighboring instability and a massive influx of refugees.  In 1991,
Djibouti hoped to play a key role in the transition process toward
peace in Somalia by hosting the Somali National Reconciliation
Conference, and the republic's role in assisting Ethiopia's
redevelopment will likely increase in the near future.  As a result of
such regional conflicts, ties to other states and organizations more
removed from tensions of the Horn of Africa are particularly valued.


U.S.-DJIBOUTIAN RELATIONS
In April 1977, the United States established a consulate general in
Djibouti and at independence several months later raised its status
to embassy.  The first U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti
arrived in October 1980.  The United States provides about $4
million in economic support funds and $1 million in non-lethal
military aid annually.

Djibouti has permitted the U.S. Navy access to its sea- and airports.
The importance of that access to the U.S. has grown, with an
increased U.S. naval presence in the Indian Ocean.  The Djiboutian
Government has generally been supportive of U.S. and Western
interests, as was demonstrated during the Gulf crisis of 1990-1991.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--Martin L. Cheshes
Deputy Chief of Mission--Joseph Gregoire
Political and Commercial Officer--Bruce D. Tefft
Political and Economic Officer--Michelle English
Administrative and Consular Officer--Grace C. Stettenbauer

The U.S. embassy in Djibouti is located at Villa Plateau du Serpent,
Blvd. Marechal Joffre (Boite Postal 185), Djibouti (tel. 35-39-95;
fax 35-39-40).


TRAVEL NOTES
Customs:  Visas must be obtained, prior to arrival, from either a
Djiboutian or a French embassy.  U.S. currency can be exchanged in
Djibouti.

Health:  Djibouti is free of many of Africa's diseases. Malaria,
however, is prevalent.  Infected wounds are difficult to cure.  A
yellow fever immunization is required for entry, and malaria
suppressants are recommended.

Be careful of food and drink.  Drink boiled water or bottled mineral
water, available in all local hotels and restaurants.

Djibouti has few doctors, and the one civilian hospital has less than
adequate facilities.

Transportation:  Local taxis in Djibouti City are plentiful. Most roads
in the republic are merely tracks, often passable only with four-
wheel drive.  Excellent roads link Djibouti City with the northern
provincial capital of Tadjoura and with the Assab-Addis Ababa
Highway in Ethiopia, but are closed to public traffic.


Published by the United States Department of State -- Bureau of
Public Affairs -- Office of Public Communication -- Washington, DC
20520 -- December 1993 -- Editor:  Anita Stockman

Department of State Publication 8429 -- Background Notes Series
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