The French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became Djibouti in 1977. Hassan Gouled APTIDON installed an authoritarian one-party state and proceeded to serve as president until 1999. Unrest among the Afars minority during the 1990s led to a civil war that ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government. In 1999, Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar GUELLEH; he was re-elected to a second term in 2005. Djibouti occupies a strategic geographic location at the mouth of the Red Sea and serves as an important transshipment location for goods entering and leaving the east African highlands. The present leadership favors close ties to France, which maintains a significant military presence in the country, but also has strong ties with the US. Djibouti hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.
Titel: National anthem of Djibouti
Bovenstaande gegevens zijn gedeeltelijk ontleend aan het CIA World Factbook 2006.
| 2008-02-08 | | In parliamentary elections, boycotted by the opposition, the Union for the Presidential Majority wins 94.1% of the vote and all 65 seats. Turnout is 72.6%. |
| 2006-11-21 | | Former prime minister (1977) and president (1977-99) Hassan Gouled Aptidon dies. |
| 2005-05-22 | | A new government is formed including Mahamoud Ali Youssouf as foreign minister, Ali Farah Assoweh as finance minister, and Yacin Elmi Bouh as interior minister; Ougoureh Kifleh Ahmed remains defense minister. |
| 2005-04-08 | | President Ismail Omar Guelleh, the only candidate, is reelected with 100% of the votes. Turnout is 78.9%. |
| 2004-09-12 | | Former prime minister (1977-78) Ahmed Dini Ahmed dies. |
Bron: www.rulers.org
Op bovenstaande tekst is een disclaimer van toepassing.
