Djibouti
 

11 Mar 1862 - 27 Jun 1977 Adopted 27 Jun 1977 Map of Djibouti Hear National Anthem "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1977 Constitution  (15 Sep 1992; in French) Capital: Djibouti (Gabuuti/Jabuuti) (Obock 1862-Mar 1895) Currency: Djibouti Franc (DJF); 1967-1977 Afars and  Issas Franc (AIF) National Holiday: 27 Jun (1977)   Eid al-Istiqlal (Independence Day) Population: 884,017 (2018) GDP: $3.64 billion (2017) Exports: $161.4 million (2017) Imports: $726.4 million (2017) Ethnic groups: Somali (Issa) 46%, Afar 35.4%, Arab 11%, mixed African and European 3%, French 1.6%, other 3% (2000)  Total Active Armed Forces: 12,000 (2011) French Troops: 1,700 (2016) U.S. Troops: 409 (2023) Merchant marine: 18 ships (2017) Religions: Muslim 96.9% (official)(Sunni 94.6%, Shi'a 2.3%), Christian 1.7%  (of which Orthodox 0.7%, Roman Catholic 0.8%), non-religious 1.2%, other 0.1% (2015)  International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfCFTA, AfDB, AFESD, AIIB, AL, AMF, AOAD, APM, Arabsat, AU, CAEU (candidate), CCM (signatory), CEN-SAD, COMESA, CTBT, CWC, ESCR, FAO, G-77, IBRD, IAEA, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, ICSID, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ISESCO, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNFCC-KP, UNFCC-PA, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Djibouti Index Chronology Jul 1858 -  4 Jun 1859     French attempt to acquire Obock. 11 Mar 1862                France acquires port of Obock (effective 20 May                              1862); remains unoccupied until 29 Dec 1883. Jul 1866                   French trader Denis de Rivoyre arrives in Obock. 1880                       French officially delimit the territory of Obock;                              Arnoux takes over trading concession in Obock. 1881                       La Compagnie Franco-Éthiopienne and the La Société                              Française d'Obock et du Golfe Persique founded. 1883                       Obock colony founded. 24 Jun 1884                Treaty of protection with Sultan of Tadjoura. 24 Jun 1884                Obock and Protectorates of the Somali Coast and                              Dankils Countries (Obock et Protectorats de la                              Côte des Somalis et des pays Dankils).  9 Aug 1884                Treaty of friendship with Dankali Sultan of Gobad. 18 Oct 1884                Sultan of Tadjoura cedes Sagallo to Paul Soleillet                              of La Société Française d'Obock who in turn cedes                              it to the French Government. 10 Jan 1885                Sultan of Rahayto, already subject to the influence                              of the Italian traders in Assab, nevertheless,                              agrees to recognize French sovereignty over the                              coast between Ras Ali to Ras Doumeira. 25 Mar 1885                Accord with Nour Oblé, Ougaz of Gadaboursi,                              establishing a French protectorate over the                              Gadaboursis Somalis. 1887                       Djibouti city founded.  8 Feb 1889                Moucha Island and Isle of Abou Maya ceded to France  9 Feb 1888                French protectorate recognized by Britain.  6 Jan 1889 -  5 Feb 1889  Russian Cossack adventurer Nikolay Ivanovich                              Ashinov (b. 1856 - d. 1902) leads a small group                              of settlers who briefly occupy Sagallo. 20 May 1896                French Somali Coast and Dependencies (Côte Française                              des Somalis et Dépendances) (French Somaliland). 16 Jun 1940 - 28 Dec 1942  Administration loyal to "Vichy" France                               (from 28 Dec 1942, "Free" French). 27 Oct 1946                Status changed from colony to overseas territory. 28 Sep 1958                Referendum votes in favor of continued association                              with France, 75.2%-24.7%. 19 Mar 1967                Independence referendum supports a continued but                              looser relationship with France, 60.6%-39.4%  5 Jul 1967                French Territory of the Afars and Issas                              (Territoire Français des Afars et des Issas).  8 May 1977                Independence referendum supports independence                              99.8%-0.2% 27 Jun 1977                Independence from France (Republic of Djibouti). Gobaad Tadjoura Rahayta

French Consular Agent (at Aden)
Jul 1858 -  4 Jun 1859     Henri Lambert                      (b. 1828 - d. 1859)
French Trade Agents
Jul 1866 - 1880            Barthélemy Louis Denis de Rivoyre  (b. 1837 - d. 1907)  
1880 - 1883                Pierre Arnoux
Commissioner
29 Dec 1883 - 24 Jun 1884  Léonce Lagarde, vicomte de         (b. 1860 - d. 1936)
                             Rouffeyroux
Commandant
24 Jun 1884 -  5 Sep 1887  Léonce Lagarde, vicomte de         (s.a.)
                             Rouffeyroux
Governors
 5 Sep 1887 -  7 Mar 1899  Léonce Lagarde, vicomte de         (s.a.)
                             Rouffeyroux
 7 Mar 1899 - 11 Mar 1899  Louis Alexandre Antoine Mizon      (b. 1853 - d. 1899)
                             (acting)
11 Mar 1899 - 20 Apr 1899  Louis Jules Bernard Pierre de      (b. 1855 - d. 1939)
                             Leschaux (acting)
20 Apr 1899 - 13 Apr 1900  Alfred Albert Martineau            (b. 1859 - d. 1945)
13 Apr 1900 -  6 Dec 1900  Gabriel Louis Angoulvant (acting)  (b. 1872 - d. 1932)
 6 Dec 1900 - May 1904     Louis Alphonse Bonhoure            (b. 1864 - d. 1909)
 7 Sep 1901 -  1 Apr 1902  Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières    (b. 1851 - d. 1914) 
                             (1st time)(acting for Bonhoure)
23 May 1903 - 21 Dec 1903  Albert Dubarry (1st time)          (b. 1865 - d. 1940) 
                             (acting for Bonhoure)
May 1904 - 30 Aug 1904     Albert Dubarry (2nd time)(acting)  (s.a.) 
30 Aug 1904 - 25 Apr 1913  Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal       (b. 1861 - d. 1946) 
10 Sep 1905 - 13 Oct 1905  Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières    (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(acting for Pascal)
13 Oct 1905 - 19 May 1906  Raphaël Antonetti                  (b. 1872 - d. 1938) 
                             (acting for Pascal)
19 May 1906 - 19 Jun 1906  Paul Désiré Patté                  (b. 1856 - d. 1919)
                             (acting for Pascal)
11 Jul 1908 -  5 Jan 1909  Jean-Baptiste Castaing (1st time)  (b. 1864 - d. 1915)
                             (acting for Pascal)
11 Jun 1911 - 21 Dec 1911  Jean-Baptiste Castaing (2nd time)  (s.a.)
                             (acting for Pascal)
25 Apr 1913 - May 1913     Jean Joseph Henri Carreau          (b. 1865 - d. 1926)
                             (1st time)(acting)
May 1913 -  2 Mar 1914     Jules Adrien Jean Bonhoure         (b. 1860 - d. 1929)
 2 Mar 1914 -  7 Feb 1915  Fernand Deltel (acting)            (b. 18.. - d. 1915)
 7 Feb 1915 - 14 Apr 1915  Jean Joseph Henri Carreau          (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(acting)
14 Apr 1915 - 19 Sep 1916  Paul Simoni                        (b. 1863 - d. 1931)
19 Sep 1916 -  8 Oct 1916  Jean Joseph Henri Carreau          (s.a.)
                             (3rd time)(acting)
 8 Oct 1916 - 28 Aug 1917  Victor Marius Fillon               (b. 1863 - d. 1923)
28 Aug 1917 -  8 Sep 1918  Édouard Geffriaud (acting)
 8 Sep 1918 - 22 Feb 1924  Jules Gérard Auguste Lauret        (b. 1866 - d. 19..)
 3 May 1920 - 29 Jun 1920  Lassaigne (acting for Lauret)
29 Jun 1920 - 29 Nov 1920  Alphonse Lippman (1st time) 
                             (acting for Lauret)
25 May 1922 -  8 Jan 1923  Alphonse Lippman (2nd time)
                             (acting for Lauret)
22 Feb 1924 - 18 May 1924  Joseph Marie Eugène Joulia (acting)(b. 1863 - d. af.1932)
18 May 1924 -  9 Jul 1934  Pierre Aimable Chapon-Baissac      (b. 1876 – d. af.1934)
 2 Jun 1926 -  7 Feb 1927  Théophile Antoine Pascal Tellier   (b. 1872 - d. 1955)
                             (acting for Chapon-Baissac)
 9 Mar 1929 - 25 Nov 1929  Joseph Georges Cochard             (b. 1874 - d. 1937)
                             (acting for Chapon-Baissac)
 9 Jul 1934 -  5 Aug 1934  Rauziller (acting)
 5 Aug 1934 - 30 Jun 1935  Jules Marcel de Coppet             (b. 1881 - d. 1968)
30 Jun 1935 - 15 Aug 1935  Joseph François Jean Baptiste      (b. 1895 - d. 1958)
                             Albert Fauque de Jonquières
                             (acting)
15 Aug 1935 - 13 Nov 1935  Achille Louis Auguste Silvestre    (b. 1879 - d. 1937)
13 Nov 1935 - 22 May 1937  Armand Léon Annet                  (b. 1888 - d. 1973)
22 May 1937 - 15 Jun 1937  Jourdain (acting)
15 Jun 1937 - 30 May 1938  Marie François Julien Pierre-Alype (b. 1886 - d. 1956) 
                             (acting to 19 Mar 1938)
30 May 1938 -  3 Aug 1940  Hubert Jules Deschamps             (b. 1900 - d. 1979) 
                             (acting to 29 Nov 1938)
 3 Aug 1940 - 10 Sep 1940  Gaëtan Loïc Louis Élie Germain     (b. 1904 - d. 1956)
10 Sep 1940 - 12 Oct 1942  Pierre Marie Élie Louis            (b. 1894 - d. 1985)
                             Nouailhetas
12 Oct 1942 -  4 Dec 1942  Auguste Charles Jules Truffert     (b. 1886 - d. 1967)
 4 Dec 1942 - 26 Dec 1942  Edmond Gustave Dupont (acting)     (b. 1888 - d. 1957)
28 Dec 1942 – 30 Dec 1942  Ludovic Chancel –Delegate          (b. 1901 - d. 1971)
30 Dec 1942 - 22 Jun 1943  Ange Marie Charles André           (b. 1896 - d. 1947)
                             Bayardelle
22 Jun 1943 -  1 May 1944  Michel Raphaël Antoine Saller      (b. 1899 - d. 1976)
                             (acting to 7 Jan 1944)
 1 May 1944 - 30 Apr 1946  Jean Victor Louis Joseph Chalvet   (b. 1893 - d. 1975)
14 May 1945 - Dec 1945     Jean-Louis Beyries                 (b. 1887 - d. 1974)
                             (acting for Chalvet)
30 Apr 1946 -  1 Mar 1950  Paul Henri Siriex                  (b. 1908 - d. 2003)
 1 Mar 1950 -  6 Apr 1954  Numa François Henri Sadoul         (b. 1906 - d. 1990)
 6 Apr 1954 - 13 Aug 1954  Roland Joanes Louis Pré            (b. 1907 - d. 1980)
13 Aug 1954 -  7 Aug 1957  René Jean Albert Petitbon          (b. 1902 - d. 1965)
 7 Aug 1957 - 22 Jul 1957  Maurice Méker                      (b. 1913 - d. 1987)
Governors, Chiefs of the Territory
22 Jul 1957 - Oct 1958     Maurice Méker                      (s.a.)
21 Oct 1958 - 16 Nov 1962  Jacques Marie Julien Compain       (b. 1912 - d. 1984)
16 Nov 1962 - 15 Sep 1966  René Tirant                        (b. 1907 - d. 1978)
15 Sep 1966 -  3 Jul 1967  Louis Joseph Édouard Saget         (b. 1915 - d. 2010)
High Commissioners
 3 Jul 1967 -  5 Feb 1969  Louis Joseph Édouard Saget         (s.a.)
 5 Feb 1969 - 21 Aug 1971  Dominique Ponchardier              (b. 1917 - d. 1986)
21 Aug 1971 -  1 Aug 1974  Georges Thiercy                    (b. 1915)
 1 Aug 1974 -  9 Feb 1976  Christian Dablanc                  (b. 1931 - d. 1989)
 9 Feb 1976 - 27 Jun 1977  Camille d'Ornano                   (b. 1917 - d. 1989)
Presidents
27 Jun 1977 -  8 May 1999  Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Issa)       (b. 1916 - d. 2006) LPAI/RPI/RPP
 8 May 1999 -              Ismail Omar Guelleh (Issa)         (b. 1947)            RPP + UMP

Vice presidents of the Government Council
Jul 1957 - Dec 1958        Mahamoud Harbi Farah (Issa)        (b. 1921 - d. 1960)  MUR
Dec 1958 - Apr 1959        Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Issa)       (s.a.)               UPA
May 1959 - Jun 1960        Ahmed Dini Ahmed (Afar)            (b. 1932 - d. 2004)  PMP 
Jun 1960 - Nov 1966        Ali Aref Bourhan (Afar)            (b. 1934)           PMP;1963 UDA
 5 Nov 1966 - Apr 1967     Abdallah Mohamed Kamil (Afar)      (b. 1936)            UDA
27 Apr 1967 -  7 Jul 1967  Ali Aref Bourhan (Afar)            (s.a.)               RDA
Presidents of the Government Council
 7 Jul 1967 - 29 Jul 1976  Ali Aref Bourhan (Afar)            (s.a.)              RDA;1975 UNI
29 Jul 1976 - 18 May 1977  Abdallah Mohamed Kamil (Afar)      (s.a.)               LPAI
Prime ministers
18 May 1977 - 12 Jul 1977  Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Issa)       (s.a.)               LPAI
12 Jul 1977 -  5 Feb 1978  Ahmed Dini Ahmed (Afar)            (s.a.)               RPI
 5 Feb 1978 -  2 Oct 1978  Abdallah Mohamed Kamil (Afar)      (s.a.)               RPI
 2 Oct 1978 -  7 Mar 2001  Barkat Gourad Hamadou (Afar)       (b. 1930 - d. 2018)RPI;1979 RPP
 7 Mar 2001 -  1 Apr 2013  Dileita Mohamed Dileita (Afar)     (b. 1958)            RPP + UMP
 1 Apr 2013 -              Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed (Afar)   (b. 1951)            RPP + UMP

Note: The Ethno-linguistic group, which plays an important role in politics, is listed in parentheses after the leaders name when known i.e. (Issa).

Territorial Disputes: Djibouti maintains economic ties and border accords with "Somaliland" leadership while maintaining some political ties to various factions in Somalia; Kuwait is chief investor in the 2008 restoration and upgrade of the Ethiopian-Djibouti rail link; in 2008, Eritrean troops moved across the border on Ras Doumera peninsula and occupied Doumera Island with undefined sovereignty in the Red Sea.

Party abbreviations: RPP = Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progrès (People's Rally for Progress, social democratic, authoritarian, Mar 1979-Sep 1992 only legal party, est.4 Mar 1979); UMP = Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle (Union for a Presidential Majority, pro-Guelleh coalition of RPP, Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy [FRUD], National Democratic Party [PND] and the Social Democratic People's Party [PPSD], est.2003);
- Former parties: LAO = Ligue pour l'Avenir et l'Ordre (League for the Future and Order, predominantly Afar, Ahmed Dini personalist, 1975 merged into LPAI); LPA = Ligue Populaire Africaine (African People's League, mainly Issa, H. Gouled personalist, 1972-1974, renamed LPAI); LPAI = Ligue Populaire Africaine pour l'Indépendance (African People's League for Independence, multi-ethnic, pro-independence, merger of LPA and Action pour la Justice et la Progrès, 1975-1977, renamed RPI); MUR = Mouvement d'Union Républicaine (Republican Union Movement, pro-independence, pan-Somali, 1957-1958); PMP = Parti Mouvement Populaire (People's Movement Party, Somali nationalist, 1958-1967); RDA = Rassemblement Démocratique Afar (Afar Democratic Rally, split from UDA, 1965-1975, renamed UNI); RPI = Rassemblement Populaire pour l'Indépendance (People's Rally for Independence, 1977-1979, renamed RPP); UDA = Union Démocratique Afar (Afar Democratic Union, 1960-1975?); UNI = Union Nationale pour l'Indépendance (National Union for Independence, mainly Afar, Gaullist, former RDA, 1975-1979); UPA = Union Populaire Africaine (African People's Union, predominantly Issa, 1975 merged into LPA);