Djibouti Today

The chief problem facing Djibouti today is a common one in Africa. The colonial borders have created a state that makes little sense politically, culturally, or economically.

About 5 percent of Djibouti’s population are of French, Yemeni Arab, Sudanese, or Indian origin. The remainder is made up of Afar people (about 35 percent) and the Somali Issa (about 60 percent). Both these groups are Muslim.

Afar who still live the traditional desert life, herding cattle, goats, sheep, and camels, have to be tough. They are great admirers of physical stamina and bravery. Their history is a fierce one; at one time women would only marry a man who could prove that he had killed an enemy. They are a tall, lean people. The women wear black scarves around their heads and brown wraparound dresses, while men wear a white kilt, the sanafil (SAH-nah-feel). Many carry old-fashioned daggers and weapons. Encampments comprise houses in which mats are placed over a framework of sticks. Herds provide milk and meat.

Despite the hostility between the Issa and Afar, Issa who have not moved into the city follow a similar way of life. They too are a tall, tough people who build homes from mats and sticks. Herders live a nomadic life, traveling in extended family groups. Issa women wear colorful scarves around their heads and wraparound dresses, and the men wear long tunics. The Issa as a whole are divided into clans (people who claim descent from a common ancestor), and each of these is headed by a chief.

Many people have left the harsh desert regions for the city or for other lands. The port of Djibouti is now home to over 80 percent of the country’s population. Most wear Western clothes and have abandoned the customs of desert living. However, their fierce loyalty to their own ethnic group remains.

The economy today still depends on the duty-free seaport, which is modernizing to compete for Red Sea trade. The railway link with Ethiopia remains important because there are only 50 miles (80 kilometers) of surfaced roads. Industry, based in the port, is on a small scale. Some market gardening and salt mining is possible, and fishing takes place along the coast. Herding dominates the interior of the country. There is a booming trade in a narcotic known as qat (KAHT). Qat leaves are chewed throughout large areas of northeast Africa.

Families must pay for their children’s education, which is not compulsory. There are no universities. More than three-quarters of men and more than one-half of women are literate.

Only rich city dwellers have access to good health care. On average, women live to an age of forty-five, men to forty-two. Most of the female population undergo a genital cutting procedure (see SOMALIA). Many children die in the first year of life (102 per 1,000). HIV/AIDS is a major problem in the seaport.