Issue 9: Effects of Foreign Power Presence in Djibouti and Lessons for Horn Countries

This policy brief provides a warning on foreign power presence in Djibouti. Following a realist tradition, the policy brief discusses dangerous effects of foreign power presence and argues that tensions between China and the US might escalate into unrest, that China will use its growing economic and military might to leverage other states in favour of Chinese interests, and that small states like Djibouti and others in the Horn of Africa are easy targets for power projections masked as economic development. Promoting Pan-Africanism and fostering a strong and independent African continent, reducing reliance on foreign funding, and addressing tensions between foreign powers in Djibouti can be some of the steps that Djibouti can take to address negative effects of foreign powers presence.