Military and economic agreements with France provide continued security and economic assistance. Djibouti serves as the headquarters for the European Union’s “Atalanta” naval task force and for a Japanese contingent, combating piracy off the coast of Somalia. Djibouti is a member of the League of Arab States (LAS) and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), as well as the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the International Organization of Francophones (“Organisation international de la Francophonie,” or OIF). Djibouti is also a member of the East African Standby Brigade Coordination Mechanism (EASBRICOM), which is currently commanded by a Djiboutian general.

Djibouti is greatly affected by events in Somalia and Ethiopia, so relations are important and, at times, delicate. The 1991 falls of the Siad Barre and Mengistu governments in Somalia and Ethiopia, respectively, caused Djibouti to face national security threats due to instability in the neighboring states and a massive influx of refugees estimated at 100,000 from Somalia and Ethiopia. In 2000, after 3 years of insufficient rain, 50,000 drought victims entered Djibouti. The number of refugees in Djibouti has doubled since 2006, with approximately 12,000 now registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), predominantly from Somalia and Ethiopia.

In 1996, a revitalized organization of seven East African states, IGAD, established its secretariat in Djibouti. IGAD's mandate is for regional cooperation and economic integration, and it has also sought to play a positive role promoting regional stability, including its efforts in support of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG).

Djibouti seeks to play a stabilizing role in the frequently tense regional politics of the Horn of Africa. Djibouti hosted UN-sponsored Somali reconciliation talks in 2008-2009 (the “Djibouti Process”), and provided military training for TFG troops in late 2009. Djibouti became Ethiopia's sole link to the sea when fighting broke out between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 1998. Djibouti’s relations with Eritrea have become strained after a military confrontation in June 2008 along their shared border. The situation remains at an impasse, despite international condemnation of Eritrea’s continued occupation of Djiboutian territory at Ras Doumeira.

Djibouti continues to cultivate cordial relations with Ethiopia, reflecting the fundamental economic ties between the two countries and a long tradition of interchanges. However, rising tensions in Somalia and Ethiopian military involvement in Somalia in 2007 fueled widespread criticism of Ethiopia among Djibouti's majority Somali-speaking population. President Guelleh attended the 2007 Africa Union summit in Ethiopia and supports the African Union peacekeeping operation for Somalia (AMISOM).

U.S.-DJIBOUTIAN RELATIONS
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.

Djibouti is a U.S. partner on security, regional stability, and humanitarian efforts in the Horn of Africa. The Djiboutian Government has been very supportive of U.S. and Western interests, particularly since the Gulf crisis of 1990-91 and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. President Guelleh continues to take a very proactive position against terrorism. In 2002, Djibouti agreed to host a U.S. military presence at Camp Lemonier, a former French Foreign Legion base outside the capital that now houses approximately 2,200 American personnel. U.S. service members have been instrumental in providing humanitarian, development, and security assistance to the people and governments of the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Djibouti has also allowed the U.S. military, as well as other nations, access to its port and airport facilities.

The U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Food for Peace program maintains a warehouse for pre-positioned emergency food relief in Djibouti--the only one of its kind outside the continental United States--allowing expedient delivery of humanitarian assistance to famine-stricken countries from Africa to Asia. International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) facilities in Djibouti transmit Arabic-language Radio Sawa programming and Voice of America (VOA) Somali Service broadcasts to neighboring Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula.

Principal U.S. Officials
Ambassador--James Swan
Deputy Chief of Mission--Eric Wong
Consular Officer--Solange Garvey
Public Affairs Officer--Niles Cole
Political and Economic Officer--Rebecca Hunter
United States Military Liaison Officer--Matt Romagnuolo
Management Officer--Robert Osborne
Regional Security Officer--Ellen Tannor

The U.S. Embassy in Djibouti is located at Villa Plateau du Serpent, Blvd. Marechal Joffre (Boite Postal 185), Djibouti (tel. 253 35-39-95; fax 253 35-39-40).