Writing up tomorrow's newsletter on Djibouti's foreign policy and it has taken a turn.

Djibouti's relationship with it's neighbouring countries is quite intricate, as tribes & ethnic groups span many modern-day borders.

So one would see Djibouti's policy over the decades.. 1/7

..be informed against a backdrop of allegiance to the ethnic group/tribe which was skewed towards Somali's & discriminatory against Afars.

This would prop up in speeches by Somalis through the usage of language pertaining to kinship & family as reasons to support XYZ. 2/7

This phenomenon would be coupled with the marginalisation & vilification of local Afars since gaining independence, despite flowery speeches by politicians on Afar-Somali unity.

In other instances, Djibouti's policy towards it's neighbours would be one aimed at maintaining.. 3/7

...it's continuity & sovereignty, and benefitting everyone involved (i.e.: not motivated by tribal/ethnic allegiance)

The government officially maintains that tribal/ethnic allegiance is something of the past & that Somalis and Afars are one - we are Djiboutians. 4/7

But we currently & historically have seen a toxic mix of policies aimed at marginalising some tribes & ethnic groups, and other policies that have promoted the wellbeing of all. 5/7

This has given leeway for members of the gvt to gaslight people into thinking we have past the era of tribal dominance. But in reality, it's something we need to actively face & grapple with. This will allow us to develop more coherent domestic & foreign policies... 6/7

...aimed at improving the well-being of all Djiboutians, not just a substratum of the population. 7/7