National Trade Data Bank ITEM ID : ST BNOTES DJIBOUTI DATE : Oct 28, 1994 AGENCY : U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE PROGRAM : BACKGROUND NOTES TITLE : Background Notes - DJIBOUTI Source key : ST Program key : ST BNOTES Update sched. : Occasionally Data type : TEXT End year : 1994 Date of record : 19941018 Keywords 3 : Keywords 3 : | DJIBOUTI 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 Contents of this publication are not copyrighted unless indicated. If not copyrighted, the material may be reproduced without consent; citation of the publication as the source is appreciated. Permission to reproduce any copyrighted material (including photos and graphics) must be obtained from the original source. For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, US Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.