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Aerial photo of the Doraleh Multi-Purpose Port in Djibouti with a docked ship
Image: XinHua/picture allianceImage: XinHua/picture alliance

Djibouti

Djibouti's strategic location as a gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world's busiest shipping routes, makes the country of more than one million people attractive to foreign military bases.

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All Content on this topic

38 migrants died in early April when their boat capsized near Djibouti

Dozens dead, missing after migrant boat sinks off Djibouti

It is the latest tragedy on a route used by migrants trying to reach Gulf countries from the Horn of Africa.
CatastropheApril 23, 2024
IOM sign in a migrant camp

Djibouti: Dozens of migrants die in shipwreck

Thousands of migrants brave the perilous route trying to reach Gulf nations from the Horn of Africa each year.
MigrationApril 9, 2024
The US Navy Arleigh-burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney passes under the Friendship Bridge as it transits the Suez Canal

Red Sea: Houthi attacks put pressure on Cairo

Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping are becoming a big problem for Egypt, with vessels now avoiding the Suez Canal.
PoliticsJanuary 27, 2024
Annalena Baerbock walks away from an Luftwaffe plane that had to make an unplanned stopover in Saudi Arabia

German government flight woes continue on way to Djibouti

It's not the first flight problem to stall German diplomacy. Baerbock's plane lacked a permit to overfly Eritrea.
PoliticsJanuary 24, 2024
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock walking in front of various national flags

Sudan: German foreign minister demands solution to conflict

Top German diplomat Annalena Baerbock is embarking on a tour of East Africa, including Djibouti, Kenya and South Sudan.
ConflictsJanuary 24, 2024
Photo taken from water level of a very large cargo ship in the sea. It is painted blue and the name 'Galaxy Leader' is written on the bow.

Houthi attacks on ships disrupt global trade

Shipping companies are avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal — a detour that creates significant delays and costs.
ConflictsJanuary 13, 2024
A US ship fires a missile to defeat a combination of Houthi missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea

Is Germany about to defend ships in the Red Sea?

A US-led alliance wants to stop attacks on cargo ships by Yemeni Houthi rebels, likely with German help.
ConflictsDecember 21, 2023
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Space industry: Africa is ready for liftoff

Africa has long lagged behind in the space industry. But the continent is now finally starting to catch up.
ScienceApril 20, 2023
MV Glory being pulled by tugboat

Suez Canal: Grounded cargo vessel refloated

A cargo ship, MV Glory, that ran aground in the Suez Canal has been refloated, the Norwegian owners say.
Cars and TransportationJanuary 9, 2023
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Djibouti's dangerous migration route

The route from Djibouti to the Arabian Peninsula is dangerous, but many African migrants still make the journey.
MigrationJanuary 6, 202307:38 min
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Global 3000 - The Globalization Program

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Oxfam: Acute hunger has surged in climate hot spots

Poorer countries are the most affected in what is a "stark demonstration of global inequality," the charity reports.
Food SecuritySeptember 16, 2022
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Mo Farah reveals he was trafficked to UK as a child

British track athlete Mo Farah has made surprising revelations that he was a victim of child trafficking.
Human RightsJuly 12, 2022
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Ethiopians tell of suffering in Saudi detention

Ethiopians deported from Saudi Arabia were kept in inhumane detention centers. At home, they face an uncertain future.
Human RightsJune 23, 2022
The Ever Given container ship run aground and blocking the Suez Canal

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Ägypten Suezkanal - Containerschiff Ever Given blockiert

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The Ever Given container ship

Stricken ship reaches Rotterdam after Suez debacle

The Ever Given, which was stuck for six days in the Suez Canal, steamed into Rotterdam early on Thursday morning.
TradeJuly 29, 2021
Ever Given anchored in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake after being removed from the Suez Canal

Suez Canal officials release Ever Given ship

Egypt had held the massive container ship until authorities reached a compensation agreement with its owners.
TradeJuly 7, 2021
Ever Given anchored in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake after being removed from the Suez Canal

Megaship that blocked Suez Canal to be released

Egyptian officials are set to release the Panama-flagged Ever Given ship at a special ceremony after reaching a deal.
BusinessJuly 5, 2021
The port of Yantian in Shenzhen

China port delay threatens global trade

A COVID outbreak at the port of Yantian is set to cause a bigger disruption than the Suez Canal blockage in March.
BusinessJune 30, 2021
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Med heating 20% faster than world's oceans: WWF

Researchers say the Mediterranean is "no longer the sea that we once knew."
Nature and EnvironmentJune 23, 2021
Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship, is seen in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake Tuesday, March 30, 2021

Japanese shippers look to avoid Suez on way to Europe

Japanese shipping companies are stepping up their search for an alternative route connecting East Asia to Europe.
BusinessMay 19, 2021
external

Costs related to Ever Given incident still rising

The CEO of Eveon Containers looks at the aftermath of the recent Suez Canal blockage by the Ever Given container ship.
BusinessMay 4, 202103:26 min
A man waves an Egyptian flag as ship Ever Given, one of the world's largest container ships, is seen after it was fully floated in Suez Canal, Egypt March 29, 2021.

Suez ship insurer appeals Egypt's hefty bill

Maritime insurers say 25 Indian crew members also remain stuck on board.
PoliticsApril 23, 2021
The Ever Given anchored in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake

Egypt impounds Ever Given after Suez blockade

The headline-making cargo ship has been impounded on a lake until its owners cough up $900 million in compensation.
BusinessApril 13, 2021
An officer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force looks through a pair of binoculars

Djibouti's role in geopolitics

Djibouti's population hardly benefits from the numerous military bases and heavy geopolitical interest in the country.
PoliticsApril 8, 2021
Ships are seen at the entrance of the Suez Canal, Egypt

Suez Canal shipping backlog cleared

More than 400 vessels were backed up after the giant container ship Ever Given ran aground, blocking the busy waterway.
BusinessApril 3, 2021
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Suez blockage reveals globalization bottlenecks

Henrik Böhme
The dayslong blockage of the crucial Suez Canal waterway will have a long-lasting impact on global trade.
BusinessMarch 29, 2021
A view shows the container ship Ever Given after it was partially refloated after blocking the Suez Canal

Ever Given freed in Suez Canal

The Ever Given ship has been freed in the Suez Canal, after being stuck for nearly a week.
BusinessMarch 29, 2021
Ships wait in a traffic jam at the entrance to the Suez Canal

Hope for Suez ship as tide rises, but worries for sheep

Freighters carrying live animals are among the more than 300 ships caught up in the Suez Canal blockage.
PoliticsMarch 28, 2021
The container ship Ever Given looms over a building next to the waterway

'Human errors' could be behind blocked Suez Canal

Egypt's Suez Canal chief says strong winds and weather weren't the main reasons the ship ran aground.
TradeMarch 27, 2021
The container ship Ever Given

Suez Canal: One of the biggest trade chokepoints

As a giant container ship blocks the Suez Canal, DW looks at the shipping routes most at risk from unforeseen events.
BusinessMarch 27, 2021
external

Costs piling up as Suez Canal still blocked

The German Maritime Centre's Claus Brandt looks at what cost the blocked canal is causing shipping companies.
BusinessMarch 26, 202103:45 min
The container ship Ever Given lodged in the Suez Canal

Suez Canal: $10 billion in goods stuck in waterway

It could take weeks before the container ship Ever Given is dislodged — and drastic measures may be necessary.
BusinessMarch 26, 20218 images
An excavator on the edge of the Suez Canal Bank digging the bow of the MV Ever Given free

Ship freed in Suez Canal

Workers freed the MV Ever Given, which had blocked one of the world's most important trade routes for nearly one week.
TradeMarch 25, 2021
A tug-boat attempts to bring a massive container ship back afloat from the banks of the Suez Canal upon which it is grounded.

Suez Canal blocked by giant container ship run aground

One of the world's most important trade routes has come to a standstill. Efforts to dislodge the ship are underway.
TradeMarch 24, 2021
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A container ship in the Panama Canal

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A tanker passes through the Suez Canal

Global Highway: 150 years of the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal generates significant income, but it also plays a larger role as a national symbol.
HistoryNovember 17, 2019
Je Suis Charlie sign illustration

Charlie Hebdo terror suspect charged in Paris

Peter Cherif, suspected of helping to arrange the 2015 attack on the satirical magazine, was deported from Djibouti.
CrimeDecember 23, 2018
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Jihadi with Charlie Hebdo links arrested

Peter Cherif was named in the Charlie Hebdo inquiry as having regular contact with attackers Cherif and Said Kouachi.
Law and JusticeDecember 21, 2018
A ticket conductor checks her phone on the train

Taking the train from Addis Ababa to Djibouti

Since the start of 2018, a Chinese train is taking people and goods from landlocked Ethiopia to the port in Djibouti.
SocietyNovember 21, 20189 images
A Japanese military officer in Djibouti

Japan to expand Djibouti base despite decline in piracy

The pirates have been largely defeated, but the Japanese government intends to expand its Djibouti base.
PoliticsNovember 19, 2018
Ethiopian Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed, Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki and SomalianPresident Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed stand in a row.

UN lifts sanctions on Eritrea after nearly a decade

The UN Security Council has voted to lift sanctions against Eritrea following its thaw in relations with Ethiopia.
PoliticsNovember 15, 2018
Leaders of Ethiopia, Eritrea and Saudi Arabia sign the peace agreement

Are Arab Gulf states and the Horn of Africa getting cozier?

When Ethiopia and Eritrea penned their peace agreement, it wasn’t in Addis Ababa or Asmara — but in Saudi Arabia.
PoliticsSeptember 23, 2018
The outline of two doves with the colors of Ethiopia and Eritrea flags

Diplomatic ties strengthen in the Horn of Africa

Following high-level talks by state leaders, is peace finally on the horizon, or have the celebrations started too soon?
PoliticsSeptember 6, 2018