Djibouti, Republic of 22,000 square kilometers, is located at the crossroads of the busiest maritime trade routes of the world, providing the junction among Europe, the Suez Canal, the Persian Gulf, and the East. This is the key geostrategic position that places this peaceful state of less than one million inhabitants in the heart of the strategic points of free nations in the Horn of Africa, and a model of stability and democracy-building in Africa.
legend: map of the Horn of Africa
Having 17,000 inhabitants in 1947, Djibouti city has expanded to 500,000 today, representing almost 65% of the population of the state. A republic since 1977, she is working to build in the heart of one of the most troubled regions, but also one of the most active of the globe, a reliable and durable government. True heart of the development of East Africa, Djibouti has a cardinal role in the opening of the African market - hundreds of millions of people - to imports from Europe, Asia and Africa the north.
Keystone of the global fight against terrorism, Djibouti assumes a courageous position as the spearhead of the international fight against terrorism, sheltering advanced features of several western nations, despite the pressures, exposing themselves to threats and reprisals carried against the State and democracy, which his government is facing: political and media attacks and destabilization, organized and supported by hostile forces against development and democracy.
- An exceptional political stability in a troubled region.
legend: picture of the lemmonier camp
Between Salafist obscurantism and progress, Ismail Omar Guelleh has made a clear choice a long time ago; he has proven that he was not the man to repudiate 200 years of shared heritage between his country and the West - and has demonstrated on countless occasions his strong ally qualities of the free and democratic nations.
The presence of US forces and the powerful lever of development that it generates, has for Djibouti, beyond the immediate impact, major political and economic effects but which may nevertheless drag the power in a form of dependence. In this context, a redeployment of US forces although unlikely to happen could have serious consequences - this was the case following the Desert Storm and Provide Comfort operations in the 1990s - or as part of a plan for the global reorganization of the US strategic posture for budgetary reasons in particular.
Notwithstanding these considerations, served by a comprehensive and far-sighted foreign policy interests of the democratic nations in Africa, Ismail Omar Guelleh remains a skilled negotiator who, without losing sight of the competition laws in the interest of his people, resists the seduction that try to exercise on him Indian and Chinese diplomats and manufacturers.
Noisily decried on the international stage as to his democratic consistency, by businessmen and supporters of the Gulf monarchies who are also the first supporters and financiers of terrorism, the President of Djibouti lets them talk not without serenity, and invites in an imperturbable way, UN inspectors to observe the elections, which are qualified with "a perfectly satisfying transparency" in 2011.
The hypothesis of a possible withdrawal of US forces is - in addition - clearly contradicted by the increased US presence in Djibouti, and the increasing strong signs of diplomatic reconciliations are achieved between America, Europe and Djibouti.
- The heart of the development of the Horn of Africa
legend: picture of the Port of Djibouti
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