Political Stability & Military involvement, if any.
Djibouti is slowly establishing an advancing role as the most attractive spot for the world`s military superpowers. It has been intimated that the country`s geostrategic location as well as stability has made it fundamental for various armies. Since the country has a population of slightly above a million, it maintains a modest army of around 20, 000 personnel. Close relations maintained Djibouti and Ethiopia ensure that it remains certain of receiving assistance in case of an attack. Also, France, Italy, Japan, and the United States have established camps within the camp to monitor any impending terrorist attacks within the entire region of Africa. The political stability stands at (-2.5 weak, 2.5 strong) ( Wan, Zhang, Xue & Xiao, 2020 ). Djibouti, therefore, does not also have sufficient political stability compared to the world average, which means there is absence of violence and terrorist attacks.
Elections since Independence: Fair or Rigged?
Since Djibouti attained independence in 1977, the country has had only two presidents. There have been claims of rigging. The current president has been in office since 1999 ( Styan, 2016 ). During the last polls, the opposition detested the idea that he had decided to rescind his previous decision to cease power and not request for another term. The leaders feel that the neighboring nations, Ethiopia and Eritrea have the capability to put pressure on the president and stop him from seeking another term, however, they are turning a blind eye to the entire situation due to their vested interests.
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Current political issues in the country
The main political issue is the reluctance of the president to relinquish authority despite being in power for more than 20 years. Also, the rifts persisting in the opposition have made it impossible to oust out President Guelleh who after amending the constitution to reduce the presidential term from two terms to 5 years vowed he would be in office for the last term but later changed his mind ( Styan, 2018 ). Moreover, there is no independent candidate who poses a threat to the president. Djibouti has also consistently maintained a high military presence at its border with Eritrea in case of any attack.
References
Wan, Y., Zhang, L., Xue, C. Q., & Xiao, Y. (2020). Djibouti: From a colonial fabrication to the deviation of the “Shekou model”. Cities , 97 , 102488.
Styan, D. (2016). Djibouti: small state strategy at a crossroads. Third World Thematics: A TWQ Journal , 1 (1), 79-91.
Styan, D. (2018). The politics of ports in the Horn: War, peace and Red Sea rivalries. African Arguments , 18 .
