Africa

Djibouti profile - Media

  • 7 April 2016

Djibouti's sparse media environment is dominated by the state. There are no private TV or radio stations and the government owns the main newspaper and the national broadcaster Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti (RTD).

The concept of independent media is "completely alien" to Djibouti, says media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RWB). The few opposition media outlets are based outside the country. A pro-opposition radio, La Voix de Djibouti, operates online.

RWB's World Press Freedom Index for 2015 put Djibouti in 170th place out of 180 countries listed. The NGO noted that government pressure on the media and efforts to control the flow of information intensified in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Djibouti hosts a powerful mediumwave (AM) transmitter which broadcasts US-sponsored Arabic-language Radio Sawa programmes to East Africa and Arabia. Local FM relays carry the BBC (99.2) and American and French external broadcasters.

There are more than 105,000 internet users (InternetLiveStats.com, 2016). Most users go online at cyber cafes, but access costs are beyond the reach of many people.

The authorities keep a close eye on opposition websites, often blocking access to them inside Djibouti.

Press

  • La Nation - government-owned daily
  • Djibouti Post - English-language weekly published by La Nation
  • Al-Qarn - government-owned Arabic weekly

Radio

  • Radio Djibouti - operated by RTD; three networks broadcast in Afar, Arabic, French and Somali

Television

News agency/internet

Country profiles: Africa