1918-1939 Djibouti
since 1977







French Somali Coast, 1939-1977



World War II broke out in September 1939; France surrendered to invading German troops on June 25th 1940. In unoccupied southern France, an administration centered in Vichy, headed by Henri Philippe Petain was formed. The colonial administration in Djibouti recognized the legitimacy of the Vichy administration.
In 1941, the British occupied Italian East Africa. The administration in Djibouti remained loyal to Vichy until December 28th 1942, when it transferred it's allegiance to the Free French government.
In 1946, the status was changes, from that of a colony to that of an overseas territory. In 1967, the territory was renamed into the AFARS AND ISSAS TERRITORY, now ruled by a high commissioner instead of a governor. In 1955 the Diocesis of Djibouti was established.

Stamps issued by Djibouti's Free French administration - FRANCE LIBRE, Cross of Lorraine


The Issas (ca. 50 % of the population) are a branch of the Somali people; their representatives long advocated unification with Somalia; the Afar (ca. 40 %) were against this step. Independence had been postponed due to the lack of agreement over the territory's political future; it was finally declared in 1977.





EXTERNAL
FILES
Articles from Infoplease : Djibouti
French Somaliland : The City at War, 1936-1945, from Djiboutian Sightings
Links to Djibouti from UPenn, African Studies
Chronology of Catholic Dioceses: Djibouti, from Den katolske kirken i Norge
Brief history 1898-1967, from al.oueb
DOCUMENTS Map of Djibouti, from UPenn, African Studies
Fr. Somaliland's banknotes, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money
List of Governors, High Commissioners, from World Statesmen by Ben Cahoon
REFERENCES Chapter 16 : More about Ethiopia, Eritrea and the Somalis, pp.274-284, in : John Gunther, Inside Africa, NY : Harper & Bros. (1953) 1955 [G]
Article French Colonial Empire, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1946 pp.329-330 (on events in 1945) [G]
Article French Colonial Empire, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1949 pp.287-290 (on events in 1948) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1951 pp.640-641 (on events in 1950) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1952 p.643 (on events in 1951) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1953 p.651 (on events in 1952) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1954 p.655 (on events in 1953) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1955 p.702 (on events in 1954) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1956 p.640 (on events in 1955) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1957 pp.702-703 (on events in 1956) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1958 pp.644-645 (on events in 1957) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1959 pp.636-637 (on events in 1958) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1960 p.638 (on events in 1959) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1961 p.640 (on events in 1960) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 p.631 (on events in 1961) [G]
Article French Somaliland, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 p.738 (on events in 1962) [G]
Article French Community, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.381-382 (on events in 1963) [G]
Article French Community, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 pp.376 (on events in 1964) [G]
Article Colonies and Other Dependencies : Somaliland, French, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 p.205 (on events in 1965) [G]
Article Colonies and Other Dependencies : Somaliland, French, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1967 p.220 (on events in 1966) [G]
Article Colonies and Other Dependencies : French Territory of Afars and Issas, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1968 pp.217-218 (on events in 1967) [G]
Article Dependent States : Afars and Issas, from : Britannica Book of the Year 1969 p.279 (on events in 1968) [G]
Article : Dependent States : French Territory of Afars and Issas, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1970 p.279, 1971 p.269 [G]
Article : Dependent States : Afars and Issas, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1972 p.241, 1973 p.232, 1974 p.248, 1975 pp.228-229, 1976 p.250, 1977 p.250 [G]
Article : French Somaliland, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 p.933 [G]
Article : France : Territory of Afars and Issas, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1970-1971 pp.928-929, 1975-1976 pp.943-944 [G]
Article : French Somaliland, in : Americana Annual 1943 p.309, 1944 p.296, 1945 p.306, 1946 pp.308-309, 1947 p.276, 1957 p.304, 1961 pp.288-289, 1962 p.290, 1963 p.266, 1964 p.261 [G]
French Somaliland p.157, in : Year Book and Guide to East Africa 1963 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on May 1st 2008

Click here to go Home
Click here to go to Information about KMLA, WHKMLA, the author and webmaster
Click here to go to Statistics