Djibouti
The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. After independence from France in 1977, Djibouti was left with a government that enjoyed a balance between the two main ethnic groups, the Issa who are of Somali origin, and the Afar minority of Ethiopian origin. However, 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. Although under French pressure the President introduced a limited multiparty system in 1992, the rebels from the Afar party, the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD), were not allowed to participate. As a result, Gouled's Popular Rally for Progress party won every seat and the war went on. It ended in 1994 with a power-sharing deal that brought the main faction of FRUD into government. A splinter, radical faction continued to fight until May 2001, when it too signed a peace deal with the government of Gouled's successor and nephew, Ismael Omar Gelleh.
Gelleh succeeded his uncle in April 1999 at the age of 52. He took office after being elected in a multiparty ballot that was not contested by Gouled. Gelleh is known to favor continuing Djibouti's traditionally strong ties with France, and has played an important role in trying to reconcile the different factions in neighboring Somalia.
In December 2000, a coup attempt said to have been masterminded by sacked police chief General Yacin Yabeh Galab fails and Yacin was charged with conspiracy and breaching state security.
France has thousands of troops as well as warships, aircraft and armored vehicles in Djibouti, contributing directly and indirectly to more than half the country's income. The US has stationed hundreds of troops in Djibouti in an effort to counter terrorism in the region.
While there are no known specific threats to expatriate travelers or residents in Djibouti, the country could be an attractive target for Islamic militants operating in the region due the presence of US and French troops. Visitors should use caution in commercial and public areas known to be frequented by foreigners such as hotels, clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, marketplaces, places of worship, outdoor recreation events and tourist areas. Civil aviation is also a possible target.
There is also the potential for armed rebel activities spilling over from neighboring countries in all border areas of the country, from Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
