Our Success Is Built On Our Cardinal Values
Djibouti continues to defy easy classification. A small state minus any natural resources - bar its geostrategic location at the entrance of the Red Sea - and at the centre of one of the most volatile regions of the world, it has evolved into one of the most politically and economically stable countries in Africa, Credit for pulling off a minor miracle must go to its political leadership, especially long-serving President Ismal Omar Guelleh who was re-elected in 2021.
Applying unerring diplomatic skills, allied to his deep understanding of both domestic and international dynamics, he and his team have steered the country past regional turmoil and on a path of sustained growth - estimated by the World Bank to reach 7 this year.
With a vigorous campaign to modernise and streamline the bureaucracy, while making the country an attractive destination for investments, the prognosis over the next decade is very good - and take Djibouti much further along its ambition to become the Singapore of Africa.
Djibouti's candidate, Mahmood Ali Youssef, has been elected as chair of the African Union Commission. What does this appointment mean for your country? And what lessons can we learn from your country for the continent in terms of peace, diplomacy and economic transformation?The election of Djibouti's candidate for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission is undoubtedly first and foremost a just reward for the ethics, traditions and diplomatic practices to which our country has always subscribed.
This appointment reflects our country's tradition of neutrality in the internal affairs of third powers, its ethics of only entering into partnerships based on shared interests, its commitment to resolving conflicts through dialogue and its continuous propensity to offer a platform for discussions to resolve political disputes that erupt in the region and the continent. All of this has clearly been rewarded by the recent election of our candidate as head of the AU Commission. As for the lesson that the continent can learn from the distinction accorded to our country, it is to recognise that the aura, the reputation and the diplomatic influence of a country are not necessarily linked to its size and scope. They are the result of the judicious nature of the deep convictions that serve as the cornerstone and cardinal values of its diplomatic action.