Djibouti media guide

Djibouti's sparse media environment is dominated by the state.

There are no private TV or radio stations and the government owns the main newspaper and the national broadcaster Radiodiffusion-Television de Djibouti (RTD).

"The repressive [judicial] arsenal deployed against journalists means they live in fear," says media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). It says the only Djibouti-based media are used for government propaganda.

A pro-opposition outlet, La Voix de Djibouti, operates online from Belgium.

Djibouti hosts a powerful mediumwave (AM) transmitter which broadcasts Voice of America programmes in English, French and Somali to East Africa. Local FM relays carry the BBC (99.2) and American and French external broadcasters.

There were 548,000 internet users by December 2021, comprising 54% of the population (Internetworldstats.com).

The authorities keep a close eye on opposition websites, often blocking access to them inside Djibouti.