The Implications of BRI in Djibouti: A Critical Geopolitical Analysis
The Implications of BRI in Djibouti: A Critical Geopolitical Analysis

Author(s): Fahmida Alam, Samin Farhan Asef
Subject(s): Economic development, Geopolitics
Published by: Scientia Moralitas Research Institute
Keywords: Djibouti; Geopolitics; Narrative; Debt-trap;
Summary/Abstract: Djibouti, located at the horn of Africa, is a part of China's multibillion-dollar program ‘Belt and Road Initiative’(BRI) which aims to achieve geostrategic and commercial objectives. An emerging market opportunity to fuel economic growth, the quest for raw material resources has drawn Chinese attention to the African region. Djibouti is situated on the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait which connects the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and for China this will help to connect Africa with the Maritime Silk Route of BRI as an important dot. The strategic location has urged China to invest largely in this area to gain geopolitical advantage. Djibouti was lured into borrowing excessively from China for the sake of development, which pushed them towards a debt trap. The objective of the paper is to analyze the geopolitical importance of Djibouti as a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. This paper will also attempt to explore the underlying reasons behind Chinese interests in Djibouti and explain the debt-trap narratives. Lastly it presents Djibouti government’s response to deal with the implications of BRI.

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