Statement On the Occasion of the 48th Anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Djibouti
H.E. Mohamed Siad Douale Ambassador of the Republic of Djibouti
Friday, June 27th, 2025
At the Willard Intercontinental Hotel Washington DC

Ambassador Jonathan Pratt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs/State Department, Members of the Administration,
Excellencies,
Colleagues,
Friends,
Distinguished guests and Brothers and Sisters,
At the outset, on behalf of President Ismail Omar Guelleh, the Government, the brave, warm and welcoming people of Djibouti, members of the Embassy, my family and myself, I wish to send you our warm greetings and welcome you all to our celebration. I am delightfully elated to recognize in our midst of a very distinguished guest, His Excellency, Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, and a distinguished son of Djibouti. We are rooting for your success ; Africa is a powerhouse in its own terms and with dedicated leadership, will realize its full potential. On behalf of the Djibouti government and its people, we wish to thank Secretary Rubis for the heartwarming message this morning. Similarly, we want to thank Mayor Bowser for her very kind message for the Djibouti people.
Today’s event marks the 48th Anniversary of Djibouti’s independence, which we gained on June 27th, 1977. It is indeed a milestone, reflecting nearly five decades of sovereignty and national identity. We are therefore immensely grateful to all of you in attendance for having accepted to celebrate with us this joyous moment of peace and unity for Djiboutians. The citizens of Djibouti came together this morning in a huge celebration to reaffirm their bond to the flag, the national anthem and their cultural heritage. In its 48 years of independence, Djibouti has endured threats and faced multifaceted challenges in a region that has seen more than its fair share of conflicts. But because we consistently stood up and stood together, we have overcome them. Under President Guelleh’s leadership, we have maintained peace with our neighbors, achieved economic growth and strengthened Djibouti’s position as a regional logistic and trading hub. Djibouti’s commemoration today, thus sends a clear message : stability, unity and perseverance matter. And leadership matters too.
In these troubled and dangerous times, as we commemorate Djibouti’s 48th Independence Anniversary, we are reminded how blessed we are to continue to be a beacon of stability in the region. Having wise and experienced leaders has been a massive blessing to our country and people.
We are also blessed to have many friends and allies. Some of them have decided to position military bases in our country precisely because it offers a safe and enduring environment. One such friend is, of course, the United States of America.
We are extremely proud of the partnership we have with Washington. This relationship has grown from strength to strength over the years and we are committed to strengthening our ties further over the coming years. We welcome the proposal to establish a Djibouti-US Parliamentary Friendship Group as this will go a long way in enhancing cooperation and collaboration between our legislative bodies as well as people to people relations. We further welcome and laud President Trump’s focus on commercial diplomacy with the continent of Africa. This is the right approach ! Djibouti is uniquely positioned to be a gateway to the continent. The country may be small, but the economic opportunities are huge. We will relentlessly pursue our strategy, continuing to strengthen a diversified and competitive economy with the private sector as the main driver. We will share our story with economic actors here in Washington and across all 50 States in an effort to attract more private investment from the US in Djibouti. This is precisely why we lent our support to the recently established Djibouti-US Business Council. Thanks again Tim for presenting the new structure. We also reiterate our gratitude to the US Chamber of Commerce for having offered to put together an investment guide for us with a view to promoting trade and investment between the United States and Djibouti.

Africans are grateful for the life-saving aid we have received thanks to the generosity of the American taxpayers. But we both stand to gain more by deepening our economic engagement and building a mutually beneficial and potentially transformative partnership through trade rather than aid.
Once again, I wish to reiterate my heartfelt congratulations to my Djibouti compatriots in the US, at home and in the Diaspora. To you and your families, Happy celebrations ! Hand in hand, we will continue to build our land. We will hold our peace ; we will hold our pride. Together, we will be stronger, and freer.
To the brave, resilient and generous people of America, please accept our congratulations in advance, ahead of your 249th Independence Day anniversary, on July 4th. We wish President Trump, Secretary Rubio and the US Administration, continued success as you build a safer, stronger and more prosperous America.

Long live Djibouti !
Long live Djibouti-US relations !