Djibouti: A small African country with an outsized diplomatic clout

A region defined by conflict, shifting alliances, and political uncertainty has seen Djibouti quietly emerge as one of the Horn of Africa’s most reliable stabilisers, demonstrating that influence is rooted in consistent diplomacy.

At the African Union level, Djibouti continues to support mediation and peace initiatives. By backing AU-led frameworks or providing a conducive environment for negotiations, the country has positioned itself as a stabilising anchor during crises in Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, and along the Red Sea corridor.

This steadiness is particularly vital as Sudan faces one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. Djibouti has served multiple terms as a member of the African Union Peace and Security Council, most recently until March 2025.

Regional diplomacy and mediation

Djibouti hosts the headquarters of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development), a regional bloc in East Africa whose members are Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda.

The country has repeatedly played the role of regional mediator. For example, it hosted and sponsored the Arta Somali Reconciliation Conference in 2000, which established the current Somali government after the collapse of the military regime in 1991 and the subsequent civil war.

In 2008, Djibouti mediated between the transitional Somali federal government and the opposition Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia, leading to the formation of a unity government the following year.

Additionally, Djibouti has twice mediated talks between the Federal Government of Somalia and the leaders of Somaliland—a self-declared independent state—in 2020 and again in 2023.

These efforts aimed to resume formal dialogue on issues of common interest, with the United States and the European Union serving as key facilitators.

Djibouti is also a troop-contributing country to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and actively engages in the fight against Al-Shabaab terrorist group, which threatens both Somalia and its neighbours.

Djibouti has also sought to mediate the conflict in Sudan. In 2023, its President assumed the rotating IGAD presidency, leading to talks that December in Djibouti between General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereignty Council and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”) of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Although the conflict persists, Djibouti continues to advocate for a peaceful resolution and unhindered humanitarian access.

In 2023–2024, attacks by Houthis from Yemen forced many vessels to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea, posing a direct threat to Djibouti’s economy.

Leveraging its IGAD presidency and strategic location just 20 km from the Arabian Peninsula, Djibouti has sought to influence events in Yemen, motivated by both the arrival of Yemeni refugees and strong economic incentives.

Diplomatic partnerships for extra-regional solutions

Djibouti’s growing diplomatic relevance was evident when it hosted the Third Türkiye–Africa Ministerial Review Conference in 2024. The gathering reinforced its role as a reliable venue for strategic dialogue between Africa and Türkiye on trade, defence, humanitarian assistance, and political coordination.

High-level discussions advanced the African-Turkish Joint Action Plan 2022–2026, aligning it with Agenda 2063 in areas such as peace, security, governance, investment, education, youth, health, and infrastructure.

Hosting American, French, Chinese, Japanese, and other foreign bases, Djibouti channels these relationships into development—ports, logistics, energy, and regional connectivity— showing how political stability enables long-term progress.

Domestically, Djibouti’s political continuity—though not without challenges—offers predictability in a region frequently disrupted by coups, contested transitions, or protracted conflicts.

By maintaining internal order, it sets a regional example of stability that reinforces its credibility as a mediator and connector.

Principled stance on Gaza

Djibouti has also taken an active role on the Palestinian issue. It welcomed the Gaza ceasefire agreement, applauding the efforts of the United States, Qatar, Egypt, and Türkiye to secure a ceasefire, humanitarian access, and prisoner releases.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh urged full implementation to ensure lasting peace, humanitarian relief, and a credible path toward a two-state solution.

Djibouti’s firm stance reinforces the broader African position: peace must prioritise humanitarian access, prisoner exchanges, and a viable two-state outcome while upholding Palestinian rights and the goal of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Djibouti’s example is instructive. In the Horn of Africa, where the cost of instability is high and the ripple effects of conflict are profound, the ability to mediate, provide safe spaces for dialogue, and maintain balanced international relationships is invaluable.

A small state can exercise outsized influence when its diplomacy is consistent, credible, and grounded in domestic stability.

The Horn of Africa remains volatile: Sudan’s war risks regional spillover; Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions linger; Red Sea insecurity threatens global trade; and climate pressures intensify humanitarian crises.

Djibouti cannot resolve these challenges alone, but its voice as a connector and mediator is indispensable.

By supporting African Union-led mediation, endorsing the Gaza ceasefire framework, and advocating for humanitarian access in Sudan, Djibouti has positioned itself as both a mediator and a model of stability, with its balanced relationships with global powers amplifying its influence far beyond its borders.

The author, Hafsa Abdiwahab Sheikh is a freelance journalist and researcher focusing on East African politics.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, viewpoints and editorial policies of TRT Afrika.