Tiny Djibouti, and Its Prime Real Estate

Tiny Djibouti, and Its Prime Real Estate

From The Horn by International Crisis Group

June 4, 2026 · 27 min · Season 7 · Episode 16

About this episode

The episode discusses Djibouti's domestic politics, its strategic role in the region, and the implications of its relationships with foreign powers.

In this episode of The Horn, Alan is joined by scholar and author Samson Abebe Bezabeh, a professor at the University of Hong Kong, to discuss Djibouti’s domestic politics and shifting role in a turbulent region. They explore Djibouti’s history, its internal political dynamics and uncertainty over the succession to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has ruled the country for nearly three decades. They discuss Djibouti’s role as a “garrison state”, how it benefits from hosting foreign military bases and why its strategic position may be changing as Ethiopia seeks alternative sea access. They also examine Djibouti’s fallout with the UAE over a cancelled port management contract, how that pushed Djibouti closer to Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and whether tensions with Somaliland could become a new flashpoint. For more, check out Samson’s book Djibouti: A Political History and our Horn of Africa page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Alan

Guest: Samson Abebe Bezabeh

Topics covered

  • Djibouti politics
  • foreign military bases
  • regional dynamics
  • Ethiopia sea access
  • UAE relations
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Somaliland tensions

Keywords

  • Djibouti
  • politics
  • foreign bases
  • Ethiopia
  • UAE
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Somaliland
  • Ismail Omar Guelleh
  • Samson Abebe Bezabeh

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of Hong Kong, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt

Books & works: Djibouti: A Political History

Places: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somaliland

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