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Djibouti: Djibouti International Relations

2012/05/19

 

 

International Relations

Djibouti hosts the Secretariat of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Improvment(IGAD), which consists of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Relations with Ethiopia centre on Ethiopia’s use of Djibouti port for the major part of its imports and exports. Relations with Eritrea, which had been improving after a difficult patch preceding and during the war between Eritrea and Ethiopia (1998-2000), are now at an amount time low after an incursion of Eritrean troops into Djiboutian territory in June 2008, which resulted in 30 Djiboutian dead and over 100 injured. In June 2010, under Qatari mediation, Djibouti and Eritrea signed an agreement to work towards a final resolution of the dispute. This process is still ongoing.

Djibouti takes a close interest in Somalia. It hosted the UN sponsored talks between the Transitional Federal Government and the Alliance for Re-Liberation of Somalia, which resulted in the agreement of a peace transaction on 9 June 2008. This was then signed by both parties on 19 August 2008. Djibouti has as well developed working relations with the authorities in Somaliland, which fall short of full recognition.

Djibouti has very close links with France which provides significant amounts of aid and financial support. 2,700 French troops remain stationed in Djibouti under agreements signed at independence. Djibouti as well hosts 1,500 US troops (US National Dept, 2008) and is the headquarters of the US led Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) which support counter terrorism activities in the region.

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