Crime in Djibouti

Reported crime concerns in Djibouti are mainly opportunity crimes, including pickpocketing, purse snatching, theft from or of vehicles, credit-card theft and identity theft. Fraud can involve fake businesses, investments, import or export offers, property deals, partnerships or demands for payment in advance. No reliable current public national crime-rate series has been identified, and sexual and domestic violence is underreported, so available figures do not describe the full level of risk. The Ministère de l’Intérieur’s Direction Générale de la Police Nationale protects people and property, maintains public order and investigates crime. The Gendarmerie Nationale provides nationwide security and investigative services, including a gender-based-violence unit. Police judiciaire handles criminal investigations, while the Ministère de la Justice and the Procureur de la République manage the prosecution pathway. INTERPOL NCB Djibouti supports cross-border police cooperation. In immediate danger, contact the Police on 999 or the Gendarmerie on 116. The Gendarmerie number is particularly relevant for domestic violence or when police support is needed. Fire and ambulance services are listed on 18 in Djibouti City and ambulance service on 119 in Balbala. A UK government travel advisory lists different numbers, including 17 for police and 18 for fire, and gives additional ambulance numbers. This conflict means the usable number should be confirmed locally and with a trusted current source. Carry identification, record the time and place, preserve screenshots, documents and other evidence, and note witnesses. No published standard fee or processing time for a police report has been identified. Domestic violence is frequently reported as a social concern, while formal reporting is often avoided. Family, clan or religious mediation is common, but it does not replace emergency protection or formal reporting where violence, coercion or another crime is involved. UNFD Cellule d’Ecoute provides counselling and referrals for women and men. A free 1520 hotline was introduced in 2020, although its current availability has not been reconfirmed. Gender-based-violence one-stop centres documented in 2023 and 2024 offer medical, psychological and legal assistance and a safe place, but Djibouti does not have a proven nationwide shelter network. Published information on service fees is limited. Children face risks including violence, forced begging, sexual exploitation and labour trafficking, especially along movement from Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. The Code de Protection juridique des mineurs, established by Loi n°95/AN/15/7ème L, provides the child-protection framework, and a specialised police unit deals with crimes against children. Protection services are concentrated mainly in Djibouti City, while access in rural and border areas is weaker. Juvenile detention and protection facilities in Gabode have been documented. The anti-trafficking framework includes Loi n°133/AN/16/7ème L against trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants. Local and migrant children, homeless women and children, and foreign workers may face increased vulnerability. A 2024 report recorded no trafficking convictions and identified one potential labour-trafficking victim. Djibouti’s Loi n°66/AN/14/7ème L establishes the cybersecurity and cybercrime framework. A 2023 draft digital code proposed additional offences involving information and communication technologies, data and systems, but its entry into force has not been confirmed. No public cybercrime reporting portal or hotline has been identified. Device theft or compromise, unsafe public Wi-Fi, dating scams and payment or card fraud remain practical risks. Drones are strictly regulated and should not be used without the required permission. A continuing terrorism threat affects Djibouti and international interests even though a US advisory reported no terrorist attack since 2014. Avoid unnecessary exposure around crowded public places, hotels, restaurants, transport centres and military sites, and follow local instructions. Do not photograph sensitive infrastructure, ports, bridges or military buildings. Piracy and armed robbery remain regional maritime risks in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean; seafarers should use the relevant International Maritime Organization and Djibouti Code of Conduct reporting channels rather than treating this as an ordinary land-crime pattern. Local laws apply to foreign nationals as well as citizens. Current information on arrest, detention and procedural rights is incomplete. A person who experiences police or Gendarmerie abuse can seek formal justice or human-rights channels, although a current public intake contact has not been identified. Foreign victims can ask their embassy for medical, reporting, legal or document assistance. Medical treatment is not generally free, cash is often needed, ambulance availability may be limited, and private legal advice and transport create individual costs.