Djibouti
 

11 Mar 1862 - 23 Jun 1977                     Adopted 23 Jun 1977   Map of Djibouti Hear National Anthem "Jabuuti" (Djibouti) Text of National Anthem Adopted 1977 Constitution  (4  Sep 1992) Capital: Djibouti (Obock 1862-Apr 1892) Currency: Djiboutian Franc (DJF)  National Holiday: 27 Jun (1977) Independence Day Population: 506,221 (2008) GDP: $1.88 billion (2008) Exports: $340 million (2006) Imports: $1.55 billion (2006) 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: 9,850 (2006) French Troops: 2,700 (2007) U.S. Troops: 1,729 (2006) Merchant marine: None (2008) Religions: Muslim (mostly Sunni) 94.1%, Christian 4.5% (of which Orthodox 3%, Roman Catholic 1.4%), nonreligious 1.3%, other 0.1% (2000)  International Organizations/Treaties: ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, APM, AU, CEN-SAD, COMESA, CTBT, CWC, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, IRENA, ISA, ISESCO, ITU, ITUC, KP, MIGA, NAM, NPT, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCLOS, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFCC, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO Djibouti Index Chronology 1858 - 1859                First French settlement at Obock. 11 Mar 1862                France acquires port of Obock (effective 20 May                              1862); remains unoccupied until 29 Dec 1883. 24 Jun 1884                Territory of Obock and Protectorate of Tadjoura                             (Territoires Française d'Obock, Tadjoura,                              Dankils et Somalis).  9 Feb 1888                French protectorate recognized by Britain. 20 May 1896                French Somaliland (Côte Française des Somalis). 16 Jun 1940 - 28 Dec 1942  Administration loyal to Vichy France                               (from 28 Dec 1942, Free French). 28 Dec 1942 - 1946         British occupation, French administration                               continues. 27 Oct 1946                Status changed from colony to overseas territory.  5 Jul 1967                French Territory of the Afars and Issas. 27 Jun 1977                Independence from France (Republic of Djibouti). Tadjourah Rahayto (Rahaito)

French Consul Agent
1858 -  4 Jun 1859         Henri Lambert                      (d. 1859)
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 - 23 Mar 1899  Louis Alexandre Antoine Mizon      (b. 1853 - d. 1899)
                             (acting)
28 Mar 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 -  2 Apr 1904  Adrien Jules Jean Bonhoure         (b. 1860 - d. 1929)
 7 Sep 1901 - Jun 1902     Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières    (b. 1851 - d. 19..) 
                             (1st time)(acting for Bonhoure)
23 May 1903 - Dec 1903     Albert Dubarry (1st time) 
                             (acting for Bonhoure)
 2 Apr 1904 -  5 Aug 1904  Albert Dubarry (2nd time) 
                             (acting)
 5 Aug 1904 - 1915         Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal 
 9 Sep 1905 - 13 Oct 1905  Raphaël Antonetti                  (b. 1872 - d. 1938) 
                             (acting for Pascal)
13 Oct 1905 - 19 May 1906  Louis Auguste Bertrand Ormières    (s.a.)
                             (2nd time)(acting for Pascal)
19 May 1906 - 19 Jun 1906  Patte (acting for Pascal)
Jul 1908 -  5 Jul 1909     Jean Baptiste Castaing (1st time)
                             (acting for Pascal)
Jun 1911 - Dec 1911        Jean Baptiste Castaing (2nd time)
                             (acting for Pascal)
1915 - 1916                Paul Simoni
1916 - 1918                Victor Marie Fillon
1918 - 1924                Jules Gérard Auguste Lauret        (b. 1866 - d. 19..)
1924 - 1932                Pierre Aimable Chapon-Baissac      (b. 1876 – d. 19..)
1932 - 1934                Louis Placide Blacher              (b. 1883 - d. 1960)
 6 Aug 1934 - 18 Jul 1935  Jules Marcel de Coppet             (b. 1881 - d. 1968)
18 Jul 1935 - 20 Dec 1935  Achille Louis Auguste Silvestre    (b. 1879 - d. 1937)
20 Dec 1935 -  1 May 1937  Armand Léon Annet                  (b. 1888 - d. 1973)
 1 May 1937 - 27 Apr 1938  Marie François Julien Pierre-Alype (b. 1886 - d. 1956) 
                             (acting to 19 Mar 1938)
27 Apr 1938 - 25 Jul 1940  Hubert Jules Deschamps             (b. 1900 - d. 1979) 
                             (acting to 2 May 1939)
25 Jul 1940 -  2 Sep 1940  Gaëtan Louis Elie Germain
 2 Sep 1940 - 21 Oct 1942  Pierre Marie Elie Louis            (b. 1894 - d. 1985)
                             Nouailhetas
21 Oct 1942 -  4 Dec 1942  Truffert
 4 Dec 1942 - 28 Dec 1942  Edmond Gustave Dupont (acting)     (b. 1888 - d. 1957)
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)
30 Apr 1946 -  1 Mar 1950  Paul Henri Siriex                  (b. 1908)
 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 - 1958         Maurice Meker
21 Oct 1958 - 16 Nov 1962  Jacques Marie Julien Compain       (b. 1912 - d. 1984)
16 Nov 1962 - 15 Sep 1966  René Tirant                        (b. 1907)
15 Sep 1966 -  3 Jul 1967  Louis Joseph Édouard Saget         (b. 1915)
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
Presidents
27 Jun 1977 -  8 May 1999  Hassan Gouled Aptidon (Issa)       (b. 1916 - d. 2006)  RPP
 8 May 1999 -              Ismail Omar Guelleh (Issa)         (b. 1947)            RPP/UMP

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

Note: The Ethno-linguistic group of leaders, 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.

Party abbreviations: RPP = Rassemblement populaire pour le Progrès (Popular Assembly for Progress Party, authoritarian, only legal party 1981-1992); UMP = Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle (Union for Presidential Majority, coalition of  RPP, Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy [FRUD], National Democratic Party [PND], and the Social Democratic People's Party [PPSD], pro-Guelleh, est.2003);
- Former parties: LPAI = Ligue Populaire Africaine pour l'Indépendance (African People's League for Independence); PMP = Parti Mouvement Populaire (People's Movement Party);
RDA = Rassemblement Démocratique Afar (Afar Democratic Rally); UNI = Union Nationale pour l'Indépendance (National Union for Independence)