A Historical Investigation of Ethiopia’s Claims over Djibouti

Abstract

Using the British Foreign Office archival documents that have never been used by researchers so far in relations to Ethiopia’s claims over Djibouti, this study thoroughly examines the historical foundations of such claims. In addition to the classified diplomatic correspondence documents, attempts have been made to enrich the study with contemporary sources. According to the top-secret letter sent from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa to the Foreign Office in London in 1919, France had signed a secret agreement with Ethiopia pledging that it would hand over the former French Somaliland (now the Republic of Djibouti) to the Ethiopian government when requested by the latter. In violation of the agreement, the French government announced that the people of the territory would decide their future in a referendum in 1867. Soon afterwards, the Ethiopian government claimed that Djibouti was one of Ethiopia’s lost provinces. To the delight of the French government, the people voted for continued association with France. Despite Ethiopia’s historical rights, the new military government of Ethiopia officially declared in 1975 that it had no claims over Djibouti. In a second referendum held in 1977, the people of Djibouti voted for independence. This qualitative study thus analyzes Ethiopian’s claims over Djibouti in historical perspective.