Page 191 - The Winter of Islam and the Spring to Come

HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)
189

international maritime ERITREA
traffic and European
SUDAN GULF OF ADEN
states began competing to
colonize Asian and DJIBOUTI
African countries and
dominate them economi-
cally, politically, militar-
ily and religiously. As the
ETHIOPIA
major powers in the nine-
teenth century, Great
SOMALIA
Britain and France en- KENYA
gaged in a great race to
colonize and expand.
Britain entered Aden in
1839 and Somalia in 1869,
and was thus able to es-
tablish control of the Red Sea trade route. Djibouti acquired consider-
able importance at this time with its strategic position from the point of
view of the Suez Canal. In order to compensate for Britain's advanta-
geous position, France built a wharf on the Djibouti coast. By 1884 it
had dominated the whole area by means of agreements and treaties.
The years that followed were dark times for the people of Djibouti.
There was a wide difference of opinion on the future of the country
among the Muslim population. The Isas of Somali descent felt it should
join with the Republic of Somalia. The second major ethnic community,
the Afars, supported dependence on France. Between these two views
and French encouragement, the fighting grew fiercer. Although the
Muslims who supported unification with Somalia were numerically
greater, a referendum in the country on March 16, 1967 decided that it
should remain a French dependency. However, there was intense con-
flict after the referendum as a result of French pressure and electoral
fraud. French troops then occupied the country, on the pretext of in-
tervening in the bloody incidents between the two ethnic groups in
the country; the majority of the natives were killed and hundreds of