Country Profile

An important entryway to the Horn of Africa, Djibouti’s strategic location at the confluence of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, combined with its historic links to Europe, the Arabian Peninsula, East Africa and Asia, make it a unique crossroads for international culture and trade. Having long enjoyed relative security and stability – avoiding many of the conflicts that have beset its neighbours – the country has gained a valuable reputation as a safe haven. Today, it stands as a key focus for world and regional powers alike, making it a natural investment destination and a growing centre of global trade. This chapter contains interviews with President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh; Justin Yifu Lin, Director, Institute of New Structural Economics, Peking University; and Ali Guelleh Aboubaker, Minister of Investment; and viewpoints with Tibor Nagy, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, US Department of State; and with Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF.