Djibouti

Political relations

Djibouti and France have remained very close since the former’s independence. Djibouti is a French-speaking enclave in the Horn of Africa. French stands alongside Arabic as one of the country’s two official languages, and the authorities remain very committed to francophonie which is considered to be the key factor of the national identity.

Economic relations

French exports to Djibouti remained almost stable in 2016 (down 0.6%), to reach €86 million. Our trade surplus with Djibouti is very large, due to our limited imports from the country (€81.3 million in 2016). The Bank of France estimated French investment stock in Djibouti at €19.1 million at the end of 2015. In addition to companies created several decades ago by French nationals, France has about a dozen entities in Djibouti, including the Red Sea Trade & Industry Bank (BCIMR), a subsidiary of BRED-Banque Populaire), Stéreau, Air France, CMA-CGM, Groupe Bolloré, Rubis and Casino. There are business prospects for French companies in the areas of services, infrastructure, equipment, telecommunications and renewable energy. The France-Djibouti Business Group (GAFD) was created in November 2017. This forum, run by 25 businesspeople from France and Djibouti, aims to promote a shared ambition to strengthen bilateral economic ties.

See the Djibouti country file on the French Treasury website (in French)