Djibouti, a republic in northeastern Africa, is strategically located at the strait of Bab el Mandeb, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Due to its valuable position at the intersection of trade routes connecting the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea, and Africa with the Middle East, Djibouti has served as a cultural and commercial crossroads for over 100,000 years. Modern-day Djibouti’s society, most heavily influenced by French and Arab culture, is derived from centuries of foreign domination and has close ties with Somaliland. Following a civil war between the minority Afar rebels and the Issa-dominated government during the 1990s, Djibouti’s first multi-party presidential elections in 1999 resulted in the election of Ismail Oman Guelleh. Djibouti currently hosts the only US military base in sub-Saharan Africa and is considered a front-line state in the global war on terrorism.