View source for French Territory of the Afars and the Issas

{{Short description|1967–1977 French colony in modern Djibouti}}
{{Infobox former country
| native_name            = {{native name|fr|Territoire français des Afars et des Issas}}
| conventional_long_name = French Territory of the Afars and the Issas
| common_name            = French Territory of the Afars and the Issas
| era                    = [[Cold War]]
| status                 = Overseas territory (France)
| status_text            = [[Overseas territory (France)|Overseas territory of France]]
| empire                 = France
| event_start            = Established
| date_start             = 5 July
| year_start             = 1967
| event_end              = Independence
| date_end               = 27 June 
| year_end               = 1977
| p1                     = French Somaliland
| flag_p1                = Flag of France.svg
| s1                     = Djibouti
| flag_s1                = Flag of Djibouti.svg
| image_flag             = Flag of France.svg
| flag                   = Flag of Djibouti
| image_map              = Maps of the world's nations. LOC 76602171-19.jpg
| image_map_caption      = 
| capital                = [[Djibouti (city)|Djibouti]]
| national_motto         = 
| national_anthem        = 
| common_languages       = {{ubl|[[French language|French]]|[[Arabic]]|[[Somali language|Somali]]|[[Afar language|Afar]]}}
| religion               = {{ubl|[[Christianity]]|[[Islam]]}}
| title_representative   = [[List of colonial heads of Djibouti (French Somaliland)|High Commissioner]]
| representative1        = [[Louis Saget]]
| year_representative1   = 1967–1969
| representative2        = [[Dominique Ponchardier]]
| year_representative2   = 1969–1971
| representative3        = [[Georges Thiercy]]
| year_representative3   = 1971–1973
| representative4        = [[Christian Dablanc]]
| year_representative4   = 1973–1975
| representative5        = [[Camille d'Ornano]]
| year_representative5   = 1975–1977
| title_deputy           = [[President of the Government Council]]
| deputy1                = ''[[List of prime ministers of Djibouti#List of officeholders|List of presidents]]''
| year_deputy1           = 1967–1977
| legislature            = [[Territorial Council]]
| currency               = [[Djiboutian franc|French Afars and Issas franc]]
| today                  = [[Djibouti]]
| iso3166code            = AI
}}
{{History of Djibouti}}
The '''French Territory of the Afars and the Issas''' ('''FTAI'''; {{langx|fr|Territoire français des Afars et des Issas}}) was the name given to present-day [[Djibouti]] between 1967 and 1977, while it was still an [[Overseas territory (France)|overseas territory of France]]. The area was formerly known as [[French Somaliland]] (''{{lang|fr|Côte française des Somalis}}''). Its name derives from the [[Afar people]] of Djibouti and the [[Somalis|Somali]] [[Issa (clan)|Issa clan]].

==History==
{{See also|History of Djibouti}}

From 1862 until 1894, the land to the north of the [[Gulf of Tadjoura]] was called ''Obock'' and ruled by [[Somali people|Somali]] and [[Afar people|Afar]] [[Sultan]]s, local authorities with whom [[France]] signed various treaties between 1883 and 1887 to gain a foothold in the region.<ref name="Uwechue">Raph Uwechue, ''Africa year book and who's who'', (Africa Journal Ltd.: 1977), p.209.</ref><ref>Hugh Chisholm (ed.), ''The encyclopædia britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information'', Volume 25, (At the University press: 1911), p.383.</ref><ref name="Apcoatf"/> In 1894, [[Léonce Lagarde]] established a permanent French administration in the [[Djibouti (city)|city of Djibouti]] and named the region ''Côte française des Somalis'' ([[French Somaliland]]), a name which continued until 1967.

In 1958, on the eve of neighbouring [[Somalia]]'s independence in 1960, a [[French Somaliland constitutional referendum, 1958|referendum]] was held in the territory to decide whether or not to join the [[Somali Republic]] or to remain with France. The referendum turned out in favour of a continued association with France, partly due to a combined yes vote by the sizable Afar ethnic group and resident Europeans.<ref name=Barrington2006>Barrington, Lowell, ''After Independence: Making and Protecting the Nation in Postcolonial and Postcommunist States'', (University of Michigan Press: 2006), p.115</ref> There were also allegations of widespread [[vote rigging]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Africa Research Bulletin, Volume 3|author=Africa Research, Ltd|date=1966|publisher=Blackwell|page=597|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=42oEAQAAIAAJ|access-date=18 December 2014}}</ref> The majority of those who had voted no were Somalis who were strongly in favour of joining a [[Greater Somalia|united Somalia]], as had been proposed by [[Mahmoud Harbi]], Vice President of the Government Council.<ref name=Barrington2006/> In October 1960, he and several of his associates died in a plane crash under mysterious circumstances on a return trip from [[China]] to Somalia.<ref name="Tss">United States Joint Publications Research Service, ''Translations on Sub-Saharan Africa'', Issues 464-492, (1966), p.24.</ref>

In 1966, France rejected the [[United Nations]] recommendation that it should grant French Somaliland independence. In August of the same year, an official visit to the territory by then French President, General [[Charles de Gaulle]], was also met with demonstrations and rioting.<ref name="Apcoatf">''A Political Chronology of Africa'', (Taylor & Francis), p.132.</ref><ref name="Nwvol">''Newsweek'', Volume 81, (Newsweek: 1973), p.254.</ref> In response to the protests, de Gaulle ordered another referendum.<ref name="Nwvol"/>
[[File:Djibouti-Ethiopia border (and Eritrea).png|thumb|Map of the FTAI–Ethiopia border, 1977; much of it was marked with [[Boundary marker|boundary pillars]].]]
On 19 March 1967, a [[French Somaliland independence referendum, 1967|second plebiscite]] was held to determine the fate of the territory. Initial results supported a continued but looser relationship with France. Voting was also divided along ethnic lines, with the resident Somalis generally voting for independence, with the goal of eventual reunion with Somalia, and the Afars largely opting to remain associated with France.<ref name="Apcoatf"/> However, the referendum was again marred by reports of vote rigging on the part of the French authorities,<ref name="Aufsnas">American Universities Field Staff, ''Northeast Africa series'', Volume 15, Issue 1, (American Universities Field Staff.: 1968), p.3.</ref> with some 10,000 Somalis deported under the pretext that they did not have valid identity cards.<ref name="Nwjestr">[[Jean Strouse]], ''Newsweek'', Volume 69, Issues 10-17, (Newsweek: 1967), p.48.</ref> According to the UN, there was an inordinate number of invalid ballots in Somali districts, which it suggested implied that the plebiscite had been manipulated.<ref>{{cite book|title=Report|date=1967|publisher=United Nations, General Assembly|page=21|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=44s6AQAAIAAJ|access-date=18 December 2014}}</ref> Although the territory was at the time inhabited by 58,240 Somali and 48,270 Afar, official figures indicated that only 14,689 Somali were allowed to register to vote versus 22,004 Afar.<ref name="Arlacr">Africa Research, Ltd, ''Africa contemporary record: annual survey and documents'', Volume 1, (Africana Pub. Co.: 1969), p.264.</ref> Somali representatives also charged that the French had simultaneously imported thousands of Afar nomads from neighbouring [[Ethiopia]] to further tip the odds in their favor, but the French authorities denied this, suggesting that Afars already greatly outnumbered Somalis on the voting lists.<ref name="Nwjestr"/> Announcement of the plebiscite results sparked civil unrest, including several deaths. France also increased its military force along the frontier.<ref name="Nwjestr"/><ref name="Tioipeami">Alvin J. Cottrell, Robert Michael Burrell, Georgetown University. Center for Strategic and International Studies, ''The Indian Ocean: its political, economic, and military importance'', (Praeger: 1972), p.166.</ref>

In 1967, shortly after the referendum was held, French Somaliland was renamed Territoire français des Afars et des Issas. This was both in acknowledgement of the large Afar constituency and to downplay the significance of the Somali composition (the [[Issa (clan)|Issa]] being a Somali subclan).<ref name="Tioipeami"/>
[[File:French VLRA SS.11 platoon, 14th of July 1971.JPG|thumb|French VLRA [[SS.11]] platoon in [[Djibouti City]], [[Bastille Day]] 1971.]]

The French Territory of Afars and Issas also differed from French Somaliland in terms of government structure, as the position of Governor General changed to that of High Commissioner. A nine-member council of government was also implemented.{{Citation needed|date=February 2012}}

With a steadily enlarging Somali population, the likelihood of a third referendum appearing successful for the French had grown even dimmer. The prohibitive cost of maintaining the colony, France's last outpost on the continent, was another factor that compelled observers to doubt that the French would attempt to hold on to the territory.<ref name="Nwvol"/>

On 8 May 1977, a [[Afars and Issas independence referendum, 1977|third vote]] took place. A landslide 99.8% of the electorate supported disengagement from France, officially marking [[Djibouti]]'s independence.<ref name="Nwvol"/><ref>[http://africanelections.tripod.com/dj.html Elections in Djibouti] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170102105012/http://africanelections.tripod.com/dj.html |date=2017-01-02 }} African Elections Database</ref> [[Hassan Gouled Aptidon]], a Somali politician who had campaigned for a yes vote in the referendum of 1958, eventually wound up as the nation's first president (1977–1999).<ref name=Barrington2006/>

==See also==
* [[List of governors of French Somaliland]]
* [[List of French possessions and colonies]]
* [[French colonial empire]]

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

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{{Djibouti topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:French Territory Of The Afars And The Issas}}
[[Category:French Territory of the Afars and the Issas| ]]
[[Category:French Somaliland|.]]
[[Category:Former colonies in Africa]]
[[Category:Former French colonies|Territory of the Afars and the Issas]]
[[Category:French colonisation in Africa|Territory of the Afars and the Issas]]
[[Category:1960s in French Somaliland]]
[[Category:1970s in Djibouti]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1967]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1977]]
[[Category:1967 establishments in Africa]]
[[Category:1977 disestablishments in Africa]]
[[Category:1967 establishments in the French colonial empire|Territory of the Afars and the Issas]]
[[Category:1977 disestablishments in the French colonial empire|Territory of the Afars and the Issas]]
[[Category:Djibouti–France relations]]
[[Category:20th century in Djibouti]]