DJIBOUTI, 6 October 2026 (#ADI) – President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh defended on Tuesday his country’s vocation to become a “real regional economic platform”, opening, in the presence of the Secretary General of La Francophonie Louise Mushikiwabo, the 7th edition of the Economic Missions of the International Organization of la Francophonie (OIF).
” Djibouti’s vocation is clear: to be a bridge between the continents and a reliable partner for all those who want to build,” said the Head of State from the Kempinski Palace Hotel gallery, in front of diplomats, government members and economic operators.
“At the entrance to Bab al-Mandeb”, he stressed, the country has ports, free zones, a rail link with Ethiopia and submarine cables that make it “a gateway” to a market of several million consumers.
Five selected sectors
President Guelleh detailed five priority sectors selected with the OIF: logistics and free zones, “from DIFTZ to the industrial project of Damerjog”; Digital, “where cables replace ports to connect data”; renewable energies, with the Goubet wind farm; health, thanks to Al-Shifa Hospital; and sustainable tourism, “from Lake Assal to Moucha Island”.
The President assured that reforms had been undertaken “to simplify procedures and better accompany investors”, and that “this dynamic will not slow down”.
He also indicated that he had asked the government that each agreement signed during the event “be monitored in a structured manner.” “We will not judge the number of business cards exchanged but the number of projects carried out in Djibouti,” he said.
“Crisis pass; geography remains »
The Head of State also rejected speeches announcing an irreversible economic decline for the countries bordering the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where tensions persist on this strategic route of world trade.
” This tension is cyclical. The world cannot do without this road. Crises pass; geography remains. Those who settle in Djibouti do not take a risk, they take a lead,” he launched, calling youth, “at the heart of these transformations,” and the private sector to take full advantage of the forum.
An initiative launched in 2022
Created in 2022, the Economic Missions of the OIF are held in turn in the member countries. They provide businesses with a platform for exchanges and networking, to promote trade, economic integration and skills transfer, with a focus on youth employment, renewable energy and digital.
This edition brings together more than 166 foreign companies and some 300 delegations from all continents, as well as about 150 Djiboutian companies, which exhibit on the hotel esplanade.
The First Lady, Kadra Mahamoud Haid, President of the National Union of Djiboutian Women, also attended the ceremony alongside representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps.
