President Guelleh. Flickr/AR AlHashemi.
The Institute for Security Studies just published a good study on the internal political situation in Djibouti (PDF), a country that receives little international attention except for its role in anti-piracy operations and the fact that both France and the United States have military bases there.
Titled “Elections, politics and external involvement in Djibouti,” the author of the 14 April 2011 report is Berouk Mesfin.
Berouk provides background information on Djibouti’s political parties and discusses the recent controversial election, which incumbent President Guelleh won with 80 percent of the vote after the National Assembly abolished term limits.
He analyzes the continuing tension between Eritrea and Djibouti, the impact of the U.S. Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa military base and the nearly 3,000 strong French military presence.
He concludes that “the U.S. and France are set to discreetly maintain their military forces in Djibouti and to continue their unqualified support to Guelleh.”
