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Djibouti: Gulf States
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Djibouti has been cooperating in the US-led war against terrorism, and several hundred American troops have been stationed at Le Monier barracks since April 2002. On 19 September 2002 US military officials said 800 special-operations troops have been moved to Djibouti, where they could be used to hunt for al-Qaida terrorists in nearby Yemen. Military Police personnel are ... known to be deployed in Djibouti, although Pentagon officials stress police deployments are routine for security purposes during foreign deployments. Dispatching the troops to Djbouti, and also sending a ship to the region with two-thousand Marines, US officials said they had no specific intelligence on any al-Qaida terrorists in Yemen or anywhere else in the region.
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The republic of Djibouti is in the Horn of northeastern Africa on the Gulf of Aden. Area: 23,200 sq km (8,950 sq mi). Pop. (1993 est.): 565,000 (excluding about 130,000 Somali refugees). Cap.: Djibouti. Monetary unit: Djibouti franc, with (Oct. 4, 1993) a par value of DF 178.17 to U.S. $1 (free rate of DF 270.82 = £1 sterling).
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The Republic of Djibouti is ethnically diverse, due to its strategic location at the crossroads of trade and commerce. Its population consists of 652,000 citizens. Sixty percent are Somali, thirty-five percent are Afar, and French, Arab, and other minorities make up the remaining five percent. The use of khat is widespread, to the extent that Djibouti has been called the world’s first futuristic “narco-state,” a la Brave New World.
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The prevalence of tuberculosis (TB) in Djibouti is very high, at over 100 cases per 100, 000 population, the highest WHO risk category. Travelers planning to stay more than 1 month should have pre-departure PPD skin test status documented. Travelers should avoid crowded public places and public transportation whenever possible. Domestic help should be screened for TB.
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The state-run Radiodiffusion-Télévision de Djibouti broadcasts in French, Somali, Afar, and Arabic. In 1998, citizens owned about 53,000 radios and 29,000 television sets; the one television transmitter in Djibouti was at that time on the air for thirty-five hours a week.
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In April 1977, the United States established a Consulate General in Djibouti and upon independence in June 1977 raised the status of its mission to an embassy. The first U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti arrived in October 1980. Over the past decade, the United States has been a principal provider of humanitarian assistance for famine relief, and has sponsored health care, education, good governance, and security assistance programs.
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