Podcasts about djiboutian

Part 1 is devoted to the UEFA club competition qualifying rounds. There's penalty pandemonium in Poland and theNetherlands, an amazing achievement for Armenians Noah and a trio of clubs on the verge of becoming the first representatives from Andorra, Northern Ireland & Wales to reach a continental group. There's also a word for the biggest and shortest European away days of the summer, football's huge carbon footprint and two clubs with close links to the political leaders of their countries: Puskás Akadémia of Hungary & Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih of Ukraine.In Part 2, we turn our attentions to continental competitions in Africa, Asia & the Caribbean. We hear about Djiboutian club Arta Solar 7 in the CAF Champions League preliminaries and their takeover by a solar power company, find out whether Paul Watson will abscond to the Maldives to take charge of AFC Challenge League participants Maziya and learn why Haitian club America des Cayes did not turn up in Curacao for the CFU Caribbean Shield. There are also shirt giveaways for Village Superstars of St. Kitts & Nevis & the Chagos Islands national team.As per usual, you can join us for our next bonus episode if you don't want to wait until Wednesday 4 September for another pod. That episode will be out on Wednesday 28 August and will take in some stories from the Nordic nations, including a collapsed goal and a blow torch in Iceland, an island club triumphing in the Danish Cup and the Swedish club with the most youth teams in Europe. We will also be sharing our own personal football bucket lists and telling you about an upcoming Q&A session for patrons on our Discord server.RUNNING ORDER:00:00 – Intro00:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Penalty pandemonium07:32 – UEFA qualifiers: History-making hopefuls11:11 – UEFA qualifiers: Epic away days15:51 – UEFA qualifiers: Supportive statesmen21:02 – San Marino & Nauru competition winners22:38 – Africa: The space and weapons derbies30:34 – Asia: Coaching vacancy in the Maldives36:48 – Caribbean: America des Cayes' no-show39:35 – St. Kitts & Nevis and Chagos Islands giveawaysJoin Sangalo's mailing list at the bottom of the homepage to enter the Village Superstars shirt competition: www.sangalo.com.Get yourself a Surprise Shirts mystery box at www.surpriseshirts.co.uk.

Contrary to popular notions, no, we're not all Americans. The nationality guessing game: favorite exchange of bored cabbies and their captive audience passengers. Expressing nationality in Mandarin Chinese is not hard--unless you are Azerbaijani, Djiboutian, or hail from the Republic of Vanuatu, and even then a bit of research and transliteration gymnastics will do the trick. Listen to this podcast and learn how to reclaim your identity. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0821

Contrary to popular notions, no, we're not all Americans. The nationality guessing game: favorite exchange of bored cabbies and their captive audience passengers. Expressing nationality in Mandarin Chinese is not hard--unless you are Azerbaijani, Djiboutian, or hail from the Republic of Vanuatu, and even then a bit of research and transliteration gymnastics will do the trick. Listen to this podcast and learn how to reclaim your identity. Episode link: https://www.chinesepod.com/0821

Winter is coming. Get comfy, wrap yourself up in your favourite blanket, put the heating on and pour yourself a hot, steaming mug of FMT. Join Rich, Kev and Jeb as they talk you what's been going on in their virtual worlds this week. On this episode, the gang recap the start of the 4th season of the FMT Network Save (spoiler alert: it's going quite well) , re-visit some BOLD predictions they made at the start of the Premier League season, discuss the worlds longest checklist, blow minds with the worlds strangest Djiboutian coincidence and flex their ball knowledge in Rich's special quiz question. Get comfy. Get listening. VIVA LA FMT! Our links: linktr.ee/fmtpod Jeb's checklist https://bit.ly/FMObjs Callum's Youtube: youtube.com/whycallum

On today's program, Mohamed Siad Doualeh, Djibouti's ambassador to the United States as well as representative to the United Nations, discusses the importance of engaging with African nations to foster stability and security, the reluctance for nations to choose sides in an era of increasingly heated great-power competition, addressing turmoil in Somalia, Ethiopia and Yemen, the role of the Economic Community of West African States in confronting the junta that deposed Niger's legitimately elected President Mohamed Bazoum, and Djibouti's openness to hosting military forces from France, America, Britain as well as China with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

This Day in Maine for Tuesday, June 27th, 2023.

The International Organization for Migration says illegal migration is now back to pre-pandemic levels, with Djiboutian authorities rescuing 383 undocumented Ethiopian migrants whose boat was at risk of capsizing in the Gulf of Aden in the past week alone. The UN migration agency says the rise in immigration around the world is being driven by the impact of climate change as well as conflict and loss of livelihoods. It reports that last year there were 150,000 crossings along the "eastern route" - through Yemen and into Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. He says many set off on perilous journeys, attracted by the “illusion” of a better life abroad but are oblivious to the dangers that lie along the way.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4090160/advertisement

Lauren and Rachel Pieh Jones discuss what years of living in a different context teaches us about agency, story, and power. Rachel shares how her Djiboutian neighbors respond to short-term interactions with foreigners who assumed charitable roles, and the long-term rebuilding that was sometimes required after Western travelers disrupted social norms. Rachel shares how she has learned to be a good neighbor in spite of her race, gender, and socioeconomic status. ... EPISODE SHOW NOTES EPISODE TRANSCRITPION ... Links Kindred Exchange - Learn more and support ethical missions. Shop ABLE - Get 15% off your order with the code UPWARD15. Join Rachel's Substack Community - Do Good Better Subscribe to Rachel's Newsletter - Stories From the Horn Order Rachel's Book - Pillars, How Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus ... Connect with Lauren Email / Instagram / Leave a Review Connect with Rachel Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Website

In the Horn of Africa there is yet another blue pin on the world map of interoperability supported by X-Road technology. The Government of Djibouti via ANSIE has recently completed the implementation of the data exchange platform, marking another step toward more efficient and effective public service delivery.On e-Governance Academy's side, Programme Director of Technology Heiko Vainsalu has managed and dealt hands-on with the project. In this episode of the podcast, we outline some insights into how the Djiboutian government did it, relevant points of strength, and recommendations to move forward. Sounds interesting? Tune in!

Today we're bringing you a bonus episode on Somalia from Crisis Group's global podcast Hold Your Fire!. This week, as Ethiopia's civil war enters its second year, Tigrayan rebels captured the strategically placed cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, only hours away from the country's capital Addis Ababa. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed imposed a state of emergency and exhorted citizens to take up arms to defend the capital. With Tigrayan forces at striking distance, is an all-out assault on the capital imminent?This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood is joined by Crisis Group's Senior Ethiopia Analyst William Davison to discuss what might happen next. They discuss the factors explaining Tigrayan forces' offensive, the strain on Ethiopia's federal forces and the impact of Tigrayan gains on Prime Minister Abiy's position and his ruling party. They look at the war's international dimensions: Eritrea's continued involvement, how Djibouti might respond were Tigrayan forces able to reach the Djiboutian border and seek to open supply lines, and the risk Sudan gets sucked in. They discuss what an assault on the capital by Tigrayan forces might entail and how that can be averted. For more information, explore Crisis Group's analysis on our Ethiopia page and read our latest briefing Ethiopia's Civil War: Cutting a Deal to Stop the Bloodshed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, as Ethiopia's civil war enters its second year, Tigrayan rebels captured the strategically placed cities of Dessie and Kombolcha, only hours away from the country's capital Addis Ababa. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed imposed a state of emergency and exhorted citizens to take up arms to defend the capital. With Tigrayan forces at striking distance, is an all-out assault on the capital imminent?This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group's Senior Ethiopia Analyst William Davison to discuss what might happen next. They discuss the factors explaining Tigrayan forces' offensive, the strain on Ethiopia's federal forces and the impact of Tigrayan gains on Prime Minister Abiy's position and his ruling party. They look at the war's international dimensions: Eritrea's continued involvement, how Djibouti might respond were Tigrayan forces able to reach the Djiboutian border and seek to open supply lines, and the risk Sudan gets sucked in. They discuss what an assault on the capital by Tigrayan forces might entail and how that can be averted. For more information, explore Crisis Group's analysis on our Ethiopia page and read our latest briefing Ethiopia's Civil War: Cutting a Deal to Stop the Bloodshed. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Djibouti is one of Africa's smallest nations with a population of just under a million people. It's also one of the continent's poorest, with the UN saying 79-percent of people live in poverty. But on the streets, there's a group of women keeping Djibouti's informal economy thriving. Motheo Khoaripe reports. #Djibouti #ForeignExchange #WomenInBusiness

I'm so excited to introduce you today to author Rachel Pieh Jones today. Rachel was introduced to me by one of my listeners named Judith. Judith forwarded me an essay Rachel wrote titled Bread Baked in the Heat of Hell and said she'd love to hear more from Rachel here on the podcast. The piece was beautifully written and truly transported me to a moment when the Djiboutian food, community, and religion intersected for Rachel in Djibouti, Africa, which has been her home for almost 20 years. In Djibouti, Rachel has raised 3 children in a cross-cultural setting that really couldn't be more different than how she was raised in a small, insulated Midwestern town. As Rachel sought community in Djibouti, she began to question every premise of her own religion, Christianity, and the prevailing values of American culture, as she engaged with her Muslim friends and neighbors. Rachel has recently discussed these experiences openly and at length in her latest book Pillars: How My Muslim Friends Led Me Closer to Jesus. I read the book after our interview and filled my phone with screenshots (the modern version of highlighting, haha). In my opinion, Rachel's experiences, along with her unflinching introspection and raw honestly, highly qualify her to give me advice on how to lovingly and effectively engage with friends, neighbors, and acquaintances of other cultures and belief systems. I'm so thankful she's here today to share more of her experiences and particularly what they can teach us about relating with our neighbors.  Specifically, Rachel shares 3 key words to keep in mind as we consider how to improve cross-cultural communication. Listen to Rachel Now   Highlights of Ep. 073 with Rachel Pieh Jones Highlights 120 and so dry skin can crack Where is Djibouti in Africa Camel trains carrying bricks of salt to barter with Ethiopians Sounds - the call to prayer, wild green parrots, fresh baguettes 9 military bases in one small country The Do Good Better Project - the inherent problems in humanitarian and faith-based work, especially cross-culturally. Cultivating attitudes of humility, curiosity, and delight in cross-cultural experiences - *** Not being embarrassed to ask what we don't know The role of food in finding delight in Djiboutian culture Food in welcome, grief, faith, and culture in Djibouti The role of fasting and feasting in Islam vs. Christianity Lack of food during COVID in Djibouti - and what American's can learn from Djiboutians The communal aspect of making food together Keeping and adjusting American Thanksgiving traditions in Djibouti Why they bought their son a baguette-scented candle Why housekeepers have housekeepers in Djibouti   How to Contact Rachel Pieh Jones Website: www.rachelpiehjones.com Instagram: @rachelpiehjones Do Good Better on Substack: rachelpiehjones.substack.com/ Pillars: How My Muslim Friends Led Me Closer To Jesus on Amazon Rachel Pieh Jones on Amazon   Recipes Related to Ep. 073 Djiboutian Food at the Crossroads of Culture and Religion {with Rachel Pieh Jones} Isku Dhex Kharis {Somali Rice Recipe}   More Storied Recipe Podcast Episodes related to Ep. 073 Djiboutian Food at the Crossroads of Culture and Religion {with Rachel Pieh Jones} For more on the practices of feasting and fasting, particularly during Ramadan, tune into Episode 048: A Wanderer Through Life And A Lover Of Spice With Nadia Bandukda Muslim-American Nadia Bandukda eloquently explains why she observes Ramadan. If you're interested in food and religion in general, you will also enjoy Ep 053: Food And Theology With Father Leo, The Priest Who Beat Bobby Flay or Ep. 064 – A Passover Episode With Challah Champ Marissa Wojcik   More About The Storied Recipe Podcast My weekly guests share a recipe cherished for its significance to their culture, heritage, memories, and family. I make, photograph,

While it's not often in the news, the Horn of Africa is volatile and often the scene of violence and its countries are victims of international interventions and interference that has played a destabilizing role, from Djibouti and Eritrea to Somalia and Ethiopia. As western imperialism continues to prop up dictators while blocking any moves towards independence, the western-backed Gulf States are transforming the region into a battlefield against Iran and each other. Why is this region subjected to so much meddling? How is the new Cold War between the US and China playing out on the ground? And why should Americans care? To help us understand these developments, Rania Khalek is joined by Djiboutian dissident in hiding Abdirahman Mohamed Ahmed, an expert on the Horn of Africa who is both from the region and has a strong leftist background. 

Ben and Noah are joined by a new guest this week, Ben's brother Andrew! Come join us as we discuss all things herpetology, the newest episode of the Mandalorian, hear Ben's sketchy encounter of the week, and more. Games this week: "What's the Deal?" and "What's Happening NextDoor?"

Ben and Noah are joined by a new guest this week, Ben’s brother Andrew! Come join us as we discuss all things herpetology, the newest episode of the Mandalorian, hearContinue readingEpisode 13: “Bipedal Djiboutian Lizards”

Djibouti is better known as a strategic outpost than a hotbed of music but Groupe RTD, the country's national radio band, are one of its best kept secrets. By day they play at official ceremonies, off duty they let rip their love of American jazz, Indian Bollywood, Jamaican reggae and Somali funk. For the first time ever an independent label, Ostinato Records, was allowed to capture that sound and release it to the outside world on the upcoming Dancing Devils of Djibouti album.  Since Djibouti gained independence from France in 1977, its music industry has been controlled by the state, its bands run like national enterprises. And none more so than Groupe RTD, the official band of national radio Radiodiffusion-Télévision Djibouti (RTD), whose job it is to perform at official ceremonies. Its music has always been recorded in RTD's studios, conserved in its extensive archives, but has never had international release. Vik Sohoni, producer and curator with Ostinato Records, met the band by chance in 2016 when tracing author's rights for its compilation album of Somali music, Sweet as Broken Dates. He found Groupe RTD at the radio's recording studio jamming “off duty”. “We quickly realised this was not just some national, ceremonial band, this was a very raw, gritty, tough, funky band,” he says. “A lot of these guys were old legends and there was some young talent too. Everything that was happening in that studio was world class musicianship and we were really blown away.” Among the older talent is saxophonist Mohamed Abdi Alto, a self-taught musician who Sohonie says deserves to be “right up there” with the world's greatest jazz instrumentalists. “He's a national treasure, the best saxophonist in the country and possibly the most unheralded saxophone virtuoso in all of Africa.”  Alto emerged as part of the east African scene in the 1970s as did the band's guitarist Abdirazak Hagi Sufi “Kaajaa” and bass player Abdo Houssein Handeh. New talent includes vocalist Asma Omar, who joined Groupe RTD after winning a youth talent competition, and Hassan Omar Houssein, also a singer. The band performs Somali music, in Somali. But there's a “distinct Djiboutian twist,” which comes partly from the country's geography and history as an important trading post at the mouth of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Many cultures - but above all the Middle East and India - have left their mark on the country and its music. “What's incredible about Djiboutian music is not only its ability to take in all the different cultures, but what the musicians really grew up with,” Sohonie says.  “Three styles of music that they constantly refer to, which is really the icing on top of the cake for Djiboutian music, is Jamaican music which guitarist Abdirazak listened to extensively, Indian Bollywood music and classic Indian songs which the singers said that they would watch to learn how to sing and to adapt their vocal styles and American jazz which Mohamed Abi Alto constantly referred to as his greatest influence. “You take those three styles of music and you combine it with all the different cultures that have passed through Djibouti because of where it is and you have a really diverse cosmopolitan sound.” Sohonie was determined to record the band, but it proved a huge challenge. The label had to wade through a web of bureaucracy and it wasn't until 2019 that the authorities gave the green light. RTD's technical equipment was past it best and they flew in their own state-of-the-art mobile studio and set about recording 10 love songs, the majority written by Mohamed Abi Alto. But further red tape meant they were left with just three days to record. “The musicians said they knew how it goes at the top and were just very enthusiastic about having the chance to become the first band to have a commercially released album,” says Sohonie. The intense recording sessions were fuelled by chewing copious amounts of the leaf known as khat, a stimulant popular in Horn of Africa region. “There was a sign specifically in the radio which said ‘no khat chewing and no smoking'. The band basically said ‘if we've only got three days, that's a rule we're not gonna follow' so they tore down the sign.” Despite not having fewer microphones as you'd use in a European recording studio Sohonie is pleased with the result. “In the end we were able to capture everything in a really beautiful way because that studio is where every single song that's ever been recorded in Djiboutian history was recorded, so it has a lot of history, and therefore energy. Even if the acoustics are a bit wore down, that is really powerful.” Ostinato Records plans to get Groupe RTD touring internationally. Until now the only cultural entity to travel abroad was the national dance troupe sponsored by Libya's late Mouammar Kadhafi. The coronavirus epidemic, which has affected Djibouti badly, has put tour plans on standby for the moment. But Sohonie hopes the album will “inspire the government to give the green light to be able to have the band tour all over the world, which they should". He also has high hopes that lifting the shroud on Djiboutian music will broaden the country's image. “There's so much global interest in the country, but I think coverage of the country and perception of the country tend to be through the lens of geopolitics or global trade. Or perhaps there isn't any registering of any kind of image of beauty at all. So we hope this album is able to put the small but very culturally powerful country on the musical map." He senses the country is opening up and they were able to ride that wave. “We were able to gain access to a lot of things and I think the opening of the country and all the global interest has softened attitudes at the very senior leadership to be able to allow entities like myself and record labels to finally work with their music."  The Dancing Devils of Djibouti is out on 5 June on Ostinato Records. A portion of the album sales will go to Djibouti's Ambassador to Germany, who helped make the recording possible, to help the country cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Djibouti is better known as a strategic outpost than a hotbed of music but Groupe RTD, the country's national radio band, are one of its best kept secrets. By day they play at official ceremonies, off duty they let rip their love of American jazz, Indian Bollywood, Jamaican reggae and Somali funk. For the first time ever an independent label, Ostinato Records, was allowed to capture that sound and release it to the outside world on the upcoming Dancing Devils of Djibouti album.  Since Djibouti gained independence from France in 1977, its music industry has been controlled by the state, its bands run like national enterprises. And none more so than Groupe RTD, the official band of national radio Radiodiffusion-Télévision Djibouti (RTD), whose job it is to perform at official ceremonies. Its music has always been recorded in RTD’s studios, conserved in its extensive archives, but has never had international release. Vik Sohoni, producer and curator with Ostinato Records, met the band by chance in 2016 when tracing author’s rights for its compilation album of Somali music, Sweet as Broken Dates. He found Groupe RTD at the radio’s recording studio jamming “off duty”. “We quickly realised this was not just some national, ceremonial band, this was a very raw, gritty, tough, funky band,” he says. “A lot of these guys were old legends and there was some young talent too. Everything that was happening in that studio was world class musicianship and we were really blown away.” Among the older talent is saxophonist Mohamed Abdi Alto, a self-taught musician who Sohonie says deserves to be “right up there” with the world's greatest jazz instrumentalists. “He’s a national treasure, the best saxophonist in the country and possibly the most unheralded saxophone virtuoso in all of Africa.”  Alto emerged as part of the east African scene in the 1970s as did the band’s guitarist Abdirazak Hagi Sufi “Kaajaa” and bass player Abdo Houssein Handeh. New talent includes vocalist Asma Omar, who joined Groupe RTD after winning a youth talent competition, and Hassan Omar Houssein, also a singer. The band performs Somali music, in Somali. But there’s a “distinct Djiboutian twist,” which comes partly from the country’s geography and history as an important trading post at the mouth of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Many cultures - but above all the Middle East and India - have left their mark on the country and its music. “What’s incredible about Djiboutian music is not only its ability to take in all the different cultures, but what the musicians really grew up with,” Sohonie says.  “Three styles of music that they constantly refer to, which is really the icing on top of the cake for Djiboutian music, is Jamaican music which guitarist Abdirazak listened to extensively, Indian Bollywood music and classic Indian songs which the singers said that they would watch to learn how to sing and to adapt their vocal styles and American jazz which Mohamed Abi Alto constantly referred to as his greatest influence. “You take those three styles of music and you combine it with all the different cultures that have passed through Djibouti because of where it is and you have a really diverse cosmopolitan sound.” Sohonie was determined to record the band, but it proved a huge challenge. The label had to wade through a web of bureaucracy and it wasn’t until 2019 that the authorities gave the green light. RTD’s technical equipment was past it best and they flew in their own state-of-the-art mobile studio and set about recording 10 love songs, the majority written by Mohamed Abi Alto. But further red tape meant they were left with just three days to record. “The musicians said they knew how it goes at the top and were just very enthusiastic about having the chance to become the first band to have a commercially released album,” says Sohonie. The intense recording sessions were fuelled by chewing copious amounts of the leaf known as khat, a stimulant popular in Horn of Africa region. “There was a sign specifically in the radio which said ‘no khat chewing and no smoking’. The band basically said ‘if we’ve only got three days, that’s a rule we’re not gonna follow’ so they tore down the sign.” Despite not having fewer microphones as you’d use in a European recording studio Sohonie is pleased with the result. “In the end we were able to capture everything in a really beautiful way because that studio is where every single song that’s ever been recorded in Djiboutian history was recorded, so it has a lot of history, and therefore energy. Even if the acoustics are a bit wore down, that is really powerful.” Ostinato Records plans to get Groupe RTD touring internationally. Until now the only cultural entity to travel abroad was the national dance troupe sponsored by Libya’s late Mouammar Kadhafi. The coronavirus epidemic, which has affected Djibouti badly, has put tour plans on standby for the moment. But Sohonie hopes the album will “inspire the government to give the green light to be able to have the band tour all over the world, which they should". He also has high hopes that lifting the shroud on Djiboutian music will broaden the country's image. “There’s so much global interest in the country, but I think coverage of the country and perception of the country tend to be through the lens of geopolitics or global trade. Or perhaps there isn't any registering of any kind of image of beauty at all. So we hope this album is able to put the small but very culturally powerful country on the musical map." He senses the country is opening up and they were able to ride that wave. “We were able to gain access to a lot of things and I think the opening of the country and all the global interest has softened attitudes at the very senior leadership to be able to allow entities like myself and record labels to finally work with their music."  The Dancing Devils of Djibouti is out on 5 June on Ostinato Records. A portion of the album sales will go to Djibouti's Ambassador to Germany, who helped make the recording possible, to help the country cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.  

Nick and Max break down the rise of upcoming world powers and infiltrate the deep, dark corners of war. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thought-junkie/message

The rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea has repercussions that go beyond diplomacy on the Horn of Africa. A recent investigation shows that while Eritrea is no longer isolated, Djibouti is emerging as the new regional arms trafficking hub. The small strategically located state acts as a transit location for weapons trafficking between Yemen and northern Somalia through the AMISOM mission among others actors in the trade. The findings are the result of an investigation carried out by EXX Africa (specialist intelligence company that delivers forecasts on African political and economic risk to businesses) in illegal weapons trade on the Horn of Africa. In its research, the results of which are contained in the report titled The Arms Trade In The Horn Of Africa (the report has been partially published on EXX Africa website behind a paywall and is available upon request), the UK based company states that many Djibouti -based companies engaged in the country’s thriving marine sector have been implicated in the illegal weapons trade. Djibouti's growing economy Djibouti is one of the world's fastest growing economies and opens onto one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. It is strategically located on the Horn of Africa with access to both the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Djibouti is only 32 kilometers away from Yemen and shares borders with Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somaliland and Somalia. The country also hosts a number of foreign military bases - France has its largest African military base there, the US military base there caters for some four thousand troops and can act as a launch pad for operations in Yemen and Somalia, while Japan, Italy, Germany and China also have a military presence in Djibouti. According to EXX Africa’s executive director, Robert Besseling, most of the weapons appear to be coming from Houthi controlled territory in Yemen - the Khokha district of Hodeidah province - shipped in the direction of Djiboutian ports from where they are passed to armed groups in northern Somalia supported by the government in Djibouti. Besseling added that his team uncovered evidence of some of these weapons reaching armed groups in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia. However, he said he has no evidence that Djibouti is directly arming the Al-Shabab terrorist organisation. The investigation also shows that the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is involved in supplying illegal weapons to armed groups in northern Somalia. “The Djibouti contingent deployed to AMISOM which is allowed to take weapons to Somalia, under very strict arms embargo, has been shipping some of those weapons to armed groups previously and still currently supported by Djibouti’s government,” Besseling says. Djibouti fills in the gap left by Eritrea The rapprochement between Eritrea and Ethiopia and the Eritrean peace overtures towards foreign countries (diplomatic ties restored with Somalia and Djibouti)  is not only reshaping the region’s geo-politics, but is also likely to shift the dynamics of arms trafficking in the region. During its years of isolation, Eritrea turned to illicit arms trafficking that “facilitat[ed] shipments of weapons to embargoed destinations like Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia," the report reads. The report also claims that Eritrea has also been involved in “arming and training Al-Shabaab militants as well as Ethiopian rebel groups like the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).” Now that Eritrea is emerging from decades of isolation, it is likely to reduce its “central role in arms trafficking in the Horn of Africa," Besseling says. He adds that such a situation “would open up a vacuum in arms trafficking into which Djibouti could step into”. The EXX report states that senior Djiboutian military officials, government officials and heads of state-owned enterprises have ties with companies involved in the funding and facilitation of arms trafficking into the Horn of Africa. Besseling adds: “Based on that evidence, it would seem very conceivable that the Djiboutian government is aware of its position in arms trafficking and that it is, indeed, actively encouraging it.” The foreign military powers in Djibouti do not appear to be concerned with the arms trafficking happening under their nose. “It would not be in these countries’ interests to reprimand Djibouti or to impose punitive sanctions given that many of these countries are UN Security Council members (NB: France, USA, China). They would be fearful of losing their leases over their military bases in Djibouti,” says Besseling. This explains why there has been no concerted action by the United Nations or by these Western and Asian governments to try and curtail the arms trade in the country. Besseling warns about the risks of a blowback due to this absence of action to address the illegal weapons trade in Djibouti. He says that armed criminal activity is on the rise, fuelled by a proliferation of small arms in the country. Furthermore, there is the added risk of armed local insurgency because of clan divisions and political repression. And the terrorism threat remains; it already happened in May 2014 and the presence of thousands of Westerners still makes Djibouti a target for terrorist attacks. Follow Robert Besseling on Twitter @ExxAfrica Follow Zeenat Hansrod on Twitter @zxnt

In this month's Africa: Stories in the 55, we speak to the authors of two historical novels, both set in the 20th century. Fred Khumalo's "Dancing the Death Drill" deals with the South African ship the S.S. Mendi, which was sunk in the waters off of the UK, killing 618 black South African soliders. In "Harvest of Skulls", Abdourahman Waberi, a Djiboutian writer, goes to Rwanda after the 1994 genocide and writes his novel based on the stories of the people he meets. Spanning nearly 60 years, and many different names, South African author Fred Khumalo tells the poignant story of Pitso, a young black South African soldier who encounters other South Africans of different cultures on the ship the S.S. Mendi. "Dancing the Death Drill", published by Umuzi, shows intra-community politics--and the cameraderie-- of the men on the doomed ship. Previously forgotten by history books, Khumalo's book ensures that South Africa's tragedy will not be forgotten.  Hard questions are raised in Abdourahman Waberi's book, "Harvest of Skulls". Waberi, a Djiboutian writer, spent time in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide to try to understand what had happened and connect with people there. The book, published by Indiana University Press, is out for the first time in English.

Members of the Djiboutian armed forces and Kentucky National Guard ratified a state partnership agreement at the Kempinsky hotel in Djibouti City.

Nov. 14, 2013. Djiboutian author Abdourahman Waberi read from his work and discussed the state of contemporary African literature, especially highlighting African languages and culture. Speaker Biography: Abdourahman A. Waberi is novelist, essayist, poet, academic and short-story writer. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6207

The U.S. Military deployed and French forces partnered up to test their capabilities of handling a mass casualty. Staff Sergeant Sara Weeks takes us to the accident scene. REPORTER Service members from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti participated in their first ever mass casualty exercise combined with U.S. joint military and French forces. In this exercise scenario combined U.S. and French military forces are involved in a traffic accident with multiple. casualties. SB The key component in this was the command and control components between the U.S. and the French operations center and command to begin dialogue and figure out how they were going to conduct this operation in order to get forty bodies from out here in Grand Bara seventy-five kilometers back to Djibouti to get them proper medical care. REPORTER First responders arrived to the scene of the accident by helicopter and quickly triaged and transported patients to receive medical treatment. Testing the medical unit’s capabilities which includes the medical evacuation procedures of both forces are also major components of the exercise. SB: Exercises like this supports the HOA mission because we are working with our partner nation being the French since we both have a significant foot print here in Djibouti. This is the first step of further outreaching effort that eventually will hopefully incorporate the Djiboutians and our other partner nations to include the Germans, the Spanish so we can have a plied combat multiplier as far as everyone being involved because if we had a mass casualty event along these lines that involved local Djiboutians we would need to use the Djiboutian resources as well. So this is the first step toward that. REPORTER Exercises such as this one help build coalition capacity to enhance medical readiness and ultimately save lives. For Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Public Affairs, I’m Staff Sergeant Sara Weeks. Also available in high definition.