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Updated August 2, 2022
Djibouti
The small, arid East African country of Djibouti is
Figure 1. Djibouti
strategically located along one of the world’s busiest
shipping routes on the Bab el Mandeb Strait, which serves
as the gateway from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and
the Indian Ocean (Figure 1). Djibouti has become a hub for
foreign militaries. It is home to U.S. Africa Command’s
Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA),
based at Camp Lemonnier, the only enduring U.S. military
installation in Africa. A former French colony, Djibouti
also hosts a sizable French military presence and provides
facilities for multinational antipiracy operations off
Somalia’s coast. Japan established its first post-World War
II overseas military base there in 2011. The North Atlantic
Treaty Organization (NATO) opened a liaison office in
Djibouti to enhance regional antipiracy efforts in 2015.
China opened its first military base abroad there in 2017.
Italy also maintains military facilities in the country.
Source: CRS, using ESRI and U.S. State Department data.
Political Situation
With almost no arable land, few natural resources, and little
President Ismaël Omar Guelleh has led Djibouti since 1999,
industry, Djibouti’s economy depends heavily on its
when he was elected after the retirement of the country’s
services sector and trade through its busy international port
first president, Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Guelleh’s uncle).
complex. Rents and related revenue from foreign militaries
Critics argue that Guelleh’s government is authoritarian and
are an important source of revenue (reportedly over $125
corrupt. His political opponents contend that opening the
million annually). The country is pursuing an ambitious
country to foreign bases has shielded the president from
agenda to become a commercial trade hub for the region.
greater Western criticism of abuses, allowing Guelleh to
Landlocked Ethiopia, home to over 110 million people,
tighten his hold on power, despite public discontent.
relies on Djibouti for the transit of 90% of its formal trade.
China’s en
In 2010, near the end of Guelleh’s second term in office,
gagement with Djibouti is multifaceted, ranging
the parliament amended the constitution to abolish term
from major infrastructure investments to the expansion of
limits. He has since won reelection three more times, in
its geostrategic naval base. A Chinese-built rail line
2011, 2016 and 2021 (despite having vowed that his 2011
connects Djibouti and Ethiopia. China holds a majority of
Djibouti’s external
reelection would be his “third and final time”); he carried
sovereign debt, and considers the
the 2021 election with nearly 97% of the vote. As in
country as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, which aims
previous elections, opposition parties, most of which
to connect countries to Chinese global trade routes. (See
boycotted the elections, asserted that the results were
CRS In Focus IF11304, China’s Engagement in Djibouti.)
rigged. Age limits in the current constitution would make
Humanitarian and Development Situation
Guelleh, born in 1947, ineligible to run for reelection again.
Djibouti hosts more than 35,000 refugees and asylum
Guelleh’s governing Union for the Presidential Majority
seekers fleeing conflict in neighboring states and nearby
coalition (UMP after its French acronym) maintains an
Yemen. Many refugees transit via Djibouti to other
overwhelming majority in parliament, and power within the
countries, given limited access to livelihood opportunities
coalition is heavily concentrated in the president’s own
there. Djibouti’s own population of just under 1 million
party. The main opposition parties boycotted the most
grapples with chronic drought, which contributes to a high
recent parliamentary elections, in early 2018.
prevalence of acute malnutrition. More than 90% of its food
is imported. Djibouti is heavily reliant on wheat imports
The State Department’s latest human rights report notes that
from Russia and Ukraine; it has been affected by the impact
“formal structures of representative government and
of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global food prices as
electoral processes had little relevance to the real
well as by a severe regional drought.
distribution and exercise of power.” The report underscores
suppression of the opposition; arbitrary arrests of
Djibouti is categorized as a lower-middle-income country,
journalists, academics, demonstrators, and opposition
but it ranks near the bottom of the UN Development
members; and restrictions on freedom of assembly and
Program’s Human Development Index (166 out of 189
speech. It suggests that “officials often engaged in corrupt
countries). The official unemployment rate is nearly 40%
practices with impunity.” It highlights cases of refoulement,
more than 60% of the rural population lives in extreme
including the forcible return of Tigrayans to Ethiopia.
poverty. Female genital mutilation/cutting is prevalent.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Djibouti
The Economy
The U.S. military has expanded its infrastructure in Djibouti
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates
since it originally deployed forces in 2002, and in 2015, the
Djibouti’s GDP at $3.8 billion and $3,775 per capita in
Navy opened the first permanent U.S. military barracks in
2022, with 3% growth. It notes that port activity remains
Africa there. The Obama Administration negotiated terms
weak as a result of the conflict in neighboring Ethiopia and
to renew the lease for the facilities, which provide jobs to
trade disruptions in China, but forecasts a return to pre-
over 1,000 local workers and third-country nationals, in
pandemic growth of 5% in 2023. While the IMF assessed
2014. Under the terms of the previous lease, the United
Djibouti’s strategy of investing in infrastructure to
States paid Djibouti more than $30 million annually. Under
transform itself into a logistics and commercial hub as a
the new 20-year lease, the United States reportedly doubled
“great opportunity for economic growth and development,”
previous payments to over $60 million annually, amid
it has cautioned that the country faces a high risk of debt
rumors of possible Chinese and Russian military facilities.
distress, with external public debt estimated at over $2.5
To reinforce the strategic partnership with Djibouti and
billion. Djibouti’s debt service is set to triple to almost 5%
maintain basing access, Congress also provided enhanced
of GDP this year. A $43 million IMF loan and $41 million
authority in P.L. 113-291 for the Department of Defense
African Development Bank grant were approved in 2020 to
(DOD) to acquire goods and services from Djibouti for
support the country’s COVID-19 response and relieve debt.
activities in AFRICOM’s area of responsibility.
Regional Relations
The close proximity of the U.S. and Chinese bases in
Djibouti’s relations with its neighbors in the Horn of Africa
Djibouti has prompted concerns, although AFRICOM says
are evolving amid shifting alignments in the broader region
the forces are “coexisting.” In 2018, the United States
around the Red Sea. The Arab Gulf countries, Turkey, and
accused the Chinese of pointing lasers at U.S. military
China are playing a growing role in the region, as countries
aircraft from their base, reportedly causing minor eye
in the Horn, each facing domestic challenges, look abroad
injuries for at least two pilots. China denied the allegations.
for investment, development financing, and diplomatic
USAID’s Food for Peace warehouse in Djibouti stores pre-
support. Djibouti’s relationship with the United Arab
positioned food assistance commodities and serves as a hub
Emirates, an important player in the Horn, is strained over
for rapid response to regional humanitarian emergencies.
its dispute with UAE state-owned port operator DP World.
DP World has fought a legal battle with Djibouti over its
U.S. Assistance and Security Cooperation
2018 termination of the firm’s 30-year contract to operate
U.S. bilateral aid administered by the State Department and
the Doraleh Container Terminal. Djibouti may increasingly
USAID totaled over $14 million in FY2021 with additional
view the neighboring autonomous territory of Somaliland
funding allocated from regionally and centrally managed
as a competitor, given DP World’s development of its
programs, including for food aid. The State Department’s
deepwater port at Berbera.
FY2023 request of almost $16 million for the country
Djibouti has generally enjoyed good relations with East
includes $9 million in development aid and $6 million for
African governments, with the exception of Eritrea.
military aid. In 2022, USAID launched a $10 million civil
Djibouti and Eritrea fought a brief border conflict in 2008
society project that aims to promote good governance.
over the remote but strategically important peninsula of Ras
Djibouti receives security assistance from the United States
Doumeira, near the Bab al Mandeb. After various talks and
through a variety of programs administered by the State
prisoner of war exchanges, the countries declared an end to
Department and DOD, most of which are not reflected in
their dispute and an intent to normalize relations in 2018,
the State Department’s annual bilateral request. These
but there has been little sign of progress since.
programs have included border and coastal security and
U.S. Relations
related regional stabilization and counterterrorism
initiatives, which aim to protect both the host country and
The State Department characterizes Djibouti as a “key U.S.
U.S. forces stationed there and to promote military
partner on security, regional stability, and humanitarian
efforts across the region.”
professionalization. U.S. security assistance funding
U.S. military facilities there serve
significantly outweighs development aid to Djibouti.
as an important base for U.S. operations in the region,
elevating the country’s importance for U.S. officials. The
Djibouti deployed forces to join the AU Mission in Somalia
Horn of Africa is a hub for U.S. counterterrorism efforts:
(AMISOM) in 2011. Its forces have received U.S. training
U.S. officials estimate that regional Al Qaeda affiliates such
and assistance, including through State Department
as Al Shabaab in Somalia and Al Qaeda in the Arabian
Peacekeeping Operations (PKO) funds. The State
Peninsula (AQAP) continue to pose a transnational threat.
Department also provides some security assistance through
U.S. and Djiboutian officials meet annually under a U.S.-
its Partnership for Regional East Africa Counter-Terrorism
Djibouti Bi-National Forum.
(PREACT) initiative, and has supported efforts to improve
port and airport security and refurbish border posts with
Over 4,000 U.S. military and civilian personnel are
antiterrorism funds for civilian security forces. DOD has
deployed at Camp Lemonnier, an enduring forward
notified Congress of over $150 million in “global train-and-
operating site maintained by the U.S. Navy. Some of these
equip” counterterrorism assistance to Djibouti since
forces support CJTF-HOA, which serves as an operational
FY2006 (over half of it has been notified since 2018).
headquarters for countering violent extremist groups in East
Africa, conducting security cooperation, crisis response,
Lauren Ploch Blanchard, Specialist in African Affairs
and casualty evacuation missions. The site also serves as a
platform for counterterrorism missions in the Middle East.
IF11303
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Djibouti
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11303 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED