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Djibouti
Quick Overview:
Djibouti is a developing east African country on the shore of the Red Sea that achieved independence from France in 1977. It is governed by an elected president and parliament. Modern tourist facilities are limited. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: A passport, visa and evidence of yellow fever vaccination are required. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a copy of their U.S. passports with them at all times so that, if questioned by local officials, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available. Police occasionally stop travelers on the main roads leading out of Djibouti City to check identity documents. Travelers may obtain the latest information on entry requirements from the Embassy of the Republic of Djibouti, 1156 15th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, telephone (202) 331-0270 or at the Djibouti Mission to the United Nations, 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4011, New York, N.Y. 10017, telephone (212) 753-3163. Overseas, inquiries may be made at the nearest Djiboutian embassy or consulate.
Geography:
From very early times, the area including the present republic of Djibouti was a grazing land for a number nomadic tribes. The principal tribes were the Afars and the Issas; the former were aligned with Ethiopia and the latter with the Somalis. This is still the case today insofar as these two groups are concerned. Tadjoura, one of the Sultanates on the Somali coast, sold the port of Obock and adjoining lands In 1862 to the French for 52,000 francs and in 1888 French Somaliland was established. Djibouti became the official capital of this French territory in 1892. The territory was reduced in size due to an agreement with Ethiopia in 1897. A railway was built to connect Djibouti with the Ethiopian backcountry, reaching Dire Dawa in 1903 and Addis Ababa in 1917. Between 1924 and 1934 the interior of the area was effectively opened up by the construction of roads and administrative posts; after World War II, Djibouti port lost trade to the Ethiopian port of Asseb, which is now regained by Eritrea. The status of an overseas territory was granted to French Somaliland in 1946 and in 1958 it voted to become an overseas territorial member of the French Community under the Fifth Republic. Independence and the reunification of neighboring Somalia stimulated the emergence of anti-colonialist movements such as the Somaliland Liberation Front and the African League for Independence, both of which used the legal and armed branches. Renewed resistance during the 1970's, forced Ali Arif, the acting governor, to resign. France called a plebiscite on the 8::SUP of May 1977, and 85% of the population voted in favour of independence. Leader of the African League for Independence, Hassan Gouled Aptidon, became President of the new-born republic. In 1949 the first anti-colonial demonstration was held in the territory and from 1951, there was a deputy from Djibouti in Paris. The first territorial assembly was established in 1957. Hostility to French rule on the part of Issas and Somalis was made plain in a referendum in 1958 in which 25% voted "no". The French, supporting the Afars, put them in charge of the local council, headed by Ali Aref. Following arrests and wholesale expulsion of the Somali population, another referendum in 1967 produced a vote of 60.4% in favour of unity with France. Riots followed the election and the United Nations urged France to grant the territory independence. The French, however, stood firm in their refusal to do so and in maintaining Ali Aref in power. At the beginning of the 1970s, the situation shifted significantly. Hassan Gouled, head of the predominantly Somali African Popular Union, joined with the predominantly Afar League for the Future and for Order, headed by Ahmed Dini, to become the African People's League for Independence. This was the first inter-ethnic party in the colony. The 1970s, a period of turbulence and unrest in what was still a French colony, culminated in the resignation of Ali Aref in 1976 followed by the return of many who had been expelled and the revision of the electoral register. In the election held in 1977, Hassan Gouled and his party easily won and an inter-ethnic government was formed. Gouled became Head of State and Ahmed Dini the Prime Minister. Despite a promising start, this government did not survive and new one was formed in September 1978, again headed by Hassan Gouled. This new government adopted an austerity budget and undertook extensive reorganization. For the first time, the development of the northern Afar region, heretofore ignored, became a priority. Economically the government sustained itself and its programmes because of continued heavy support from France as well as aid from fellow members of the Arab League, particularly Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Libya. In the first elections since independence in June 1981, Hassan Gouled was re-elected; it must be said that he was the only candidate. On 21 May 1982, 65 unopposed candidates were elected to the legislature. Multi-party elections for the legislative assembly were not held until 18 December 1992 and they were won by the ruling party. A third party, the Front for the Renewal of Democracy (FRUD) called for a boycott of all elections. Hassan Gouled once again won the presidential election on May 7 1993. His government had been engaged in a guerilla war with FRUD in which none of them achieved a clear victory. Prisoners held by both the government and FRUD were released on the 1st of December 1993 and in June 1994 the secretary of FRUD declared that his movement was in favour of ending the war and reaffirmed its belief in "the democratic and institutional framework of the Republic".
Related Links:
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News Djibouti News Djibouti Newspaper |
Offical Sites Offical Site of the Republic |
Country Guides Africa Guide - Djibouti |
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