Djibouti Timeline -- Part 1: Prehistory to Independence
A Chronology of Key Events in Djibouti
By Alistair Boddy-Evans, About.com
| c. 300 | Forerunners of the Afar people migrate across the Red Sea from the Arabian peninsula to Djibouti. |
| c. 825 | Afar people convert to Islam. |
| c. 1300 | Sultanate of Adal in ascendancy. |
| 1415 | Christian Ethiopians attack the city of Zeila, killing the Muslim ruler. |
| 16th century | Portuguese take over trading prominence to the south, but show little interest in the Red Sea ports. |
| 1527 | Ahmad Grāñ (Ahmad the Left-handed, Ahmad Ibn Ibrāhīm al-Ghāzī) of Adal invades Ethiopia. |
| 1527 | Ahmad Grāñ dies during climatic battle between Adal forces and the Ethiopian-Portuguese army. |
| 17th Century | Military expansion by the Oromo from the southwest (now Ethiopia) fills the political and administrative vacuum caused by the end of the Adal Sultanate. |
| c. 1700 | Issa people migrate north into region from what is now Somali. |
| 11 March 1862 | Afar trading port of Obock, in what is now Djibouti, is purchased from the Sultan of Obock by the French. They are also allowed to set up a settlement. |
| 17 November 1869 | Opening of the Suez Canal increases prominence of Red Sea and Gulf of Aden ports for commerce. |
| 1881 | Coaling station set up at Obock by the French. |
| 1884 | Sultan of Tadjoura also agrees to French settlement in the area. |
| 1884 | Protectorate is established after agreements are signed between the French and the Sultans of Obock and Tadjoura. |
| 1888 | Colony of Côte Française des Somalis (French Somaliland) established. |
| Construction of a town and port facilities at Djibouti begin. | |
| 1896 | Djibouti becomes the capital of French Somaliland. |
| 1897 | A new treaty between France and Ethiopia names Djibouti as the 'official trading channel for the commerce of Ethiopia'. |
| Borders of the French protectorate of French Somaliland are established (after France hands over some territory to Ethiopia). | |
| 1909-17 | Compagnie de Chemin de Fer Franco-Ethiopien de Jibuti à Addis Abeba (CFE, Franco-Ethiopian Railway Company) builds a railway from the coast to Addis Ababa. This ensures Djibouti's development as a trading center on the Red Sea. |
| 1924-34 | French invest heavily in a road development plan, further increasing the economic viability of the region. |
| 1930s | French and Italian forces clash as Italy invades Ethiopia. Fighting occurs on border between French Somaliland and Italian Somaliland. |
| 1942 | Free French forces break a blockade imposed by Germany and Vichy France on Djibouti port. |
| 1944 | Free French troops from French Somaliland involved in liberation of France. |
| 1945 | With Haile Salassie's return to Ethiopia, the Ethiopian-French Somaliland borders are acknowledged. |
| 1947 | A campaign for independence emerges amongst Issa nationalists. |
| 1949 | First open demonstrations by Issa nationalists who support a post war initiative by Britain to unite French, British and Italian Somaliland as a single state. |
| 23 June 1956 | France enacts Loi Cadre which provided for universal adult suffrage for all African subjects in French colonies. |
| 1956 | French Somaliland becomes a Territoires d'outre-mer (TOM, Overseas Territory) of France. It gains a representative council and a deputy seat on the French Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly). |
| 22 July 1957 | First territorial assembly held in French Somaliland, giving the colony effective internal self-government. Eight members of an executive committee of ministers are elected who will have responsibility for domestic government. |
| 1958 | Referendum is held in French Somaliland -- people vote to remain a Territoire d'Outre-Mer (TOM, overseas territory) of France. An alternative vote for full independence achieves only 25% of the vote. There is consternation amongst the voters, since the French government had openly supported the Afar minority in their desire to remain part of France. Many Issa are arrested and then expelled from the country after the demonstrations by the Front de Libération de la Côte des Somalis (FLCS, Front for the Liberation of the Somali Coast). |
| 23 November 1958 | In an attempt to stem demonstrations by FLCS, elections are held for the territorial assembly. Winners are selected by proportional representation of parties involved. |
| 1963 | Aref Ali Bourhan, for the Union Démocratique Afar (UDA, Afar Democratic Union), becomes president of the Territorial Executive Council. |
| 1965 | Aref Ali Bourhan loses control of the UDA and leaves government. Forms a new party, the Rassemblement Démocratique Afar (RDA, Afar Democratic Rally). |
| 1966 | UN recommendation that French Somaliland be given independence is rejected by France. |
| 26 August 1966 | Official visit by French President, General Charles de Gaulle, is interrupted by nationalist inspired demonstrations. |
| September 1966 | Louis Joseph Édouard Saget, the newly appointed governor of French Somaliland announces a new referendum on the question of independence. |
| March 1967 | French Somaliland votes by 60% to remain a French Overseas Territory. There is a significant ethnic divide in the vote, with the majority of Issa voting for independence (and eventual union with the rest of Somaliland). Civil unrest follows official announcement of result. |
| 20 March 1967 | French troops kill 11 Issa protesting the result of the recent referendum on independence. |
| 3 July 1967 | French Somaliland is renamed the Territoire français des Afars et des Issas (French Territory of Afars and Issas). Louis Saget is given new title of High Commissioner, the Executive Council is renamed the Council for Government and reduced to nine members. |
| 17 November 1968 | Elections for Council of Government are decisively won by Rassemblement Démocratique Afar (RDA, Afar Democratic Rally). Aref Ali Bourhan heads new Council. |
| 1974-75 | Drought in Somaliland causes an increase in migration of nomadic Issa across the border. |
| 1975 | Hassan Gouled Aptidon's predominantly Issa Union Populaire Africaine (UPA, African People's Union) joins forces with Ahmed Dini's predominantly Afar Ligue pour l'avenir et l'ordre (LAO, League for the Future and Order) to create the Ligue Populaire Africane pour l'Indépendance (LPAI, African People's League for the Independence), the territory's first multi-ethnic party. |
| 18 May 1977 | Hassan Gouled Aptidon becomes Prime Minister. |
More on the History of Djibouti
• Djibouti Timeline -- Part 2: Independence to Present Day
Ethnic Groups in Djibouti
• Afar People of Djibouti
• Issa People of Djibouti
Djibouti in Mediaeval Times
• The Adal Sultanate
• Ahmad Grāñ
• Zeila
