TRAVELOGUE: DJIBOUTI; EMBERS OF AN AFRICAN WRITERS DAY
CELEBRATION BY WALE OKEDIRAN
‘’Where the heck is Djibouti’’? was
the first question on the lips of some Members of the Pan African Writers
Association (PAWA) when I informed them about the venue of the 2022
International African Writers Day Celebration. In response, I explained
that the small country in the Horn of Africa is located on the western coast of
the southern outlet of the Red Sea bordering Somalia to the southeast, Ethiopia
to the south and west and Eritrea to the north.
Unfortunately, the fact that
Djibouti was bordered by Somalia and Ethiopia, two countries in the middle of
sectional wars further raised security concerns about our destination. Matters
were not helped by recent news of the activities of terrorist groups such as Al
Shabaab and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) in the
region. However, I debunked the security concerns citing assurances of a safe
and peaceful state as given by officials of our host country.
Despite all my efforts to adequately
market the venue of the Conference, the next question was an unusual one: ‘’How
do we get there’’? Since I didn’t know whether or not the question was a joke,
I answered cheekily; ‘’We can go by bus through the Grand Bara desert or sail
by boat via the Red sea’’
However, by the time writers from 25
African countries arrived Djibouti by air after an overnight stop -over at the
Addis Ababa Bole International airport Ethiopia, all the anxieties about their
country of destination had vanished into the warm, windy and winsome tropical
climate. As we stepped on the hot airport’s tarmac, we were hit by a dry gusty
wind that plastered our clothes to our bodies.
‘’This is our cool season with
temperatures ranging between 22 to 30 degree Celsius’’ explained one of our
guides. ‘’Our hot and dry season is May to October with temperatures ranging
between 30 and 40 degrees with occasional hot and dry sand wind called
‘khamsin’. This is a good time to visit Djibouti’’ he added.
Apart from the warm
camaraderie with fellow writers who had flown into Addis Ababa the previous
night from their various destinations, the VIP reception from Djibouti
government officials at the Djibouti Airport had set a delightful tone for what
would later become an excellent convergence of African writers.
Obviously impressed by the beautiful
airport, some of the writers brought out their mobile phones to take pictures,
an action which drew the angst of Djibouti security officials. Unknown to us,
photo and video shootings of infrastructure facilities in Djibouti were
strictly prohibited.
From the airport, it was a 15-
minute drive to our hotel, the Les Acacias located by the Red Sea at the
residential district of Heron.
From the comfort of our air
conditioned vehicle, we watched Djiboutians going about their daily tasks in
the dry, tropical climate.
Most of the people wore western
clothes including the women who did not wear veils. This was a refreshing sight
to some of the lady writers who were already in jean trousers. We were also
informed that alcohol was available as long as its consumption was done
decently. This was another cheering news for some of the writers, the ones who
needed a daily dose of spirit to lubricate their throats and whet their
inspiration.
Djibouti which secured its
independence from France in 1977, is one of the smallest countries in Africa,
with an area of 23,200 square kilometers and a population estimated at about
1,000,000. The country is mainly composed of two ethnic groups, the Somali and
the Afar.
Although a largely import
dependent country, Djibouti’s strength lies in its strategic location at the
southern entrance to the Red Sea, marking a bridge between Africa and the
Middle East. Adjacent to some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes (between
Asia and Europe), it hosts military bases for France, the United States, Japan,
China, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), as well as for other
countries with forces supporting global anti-piracy efforts. These military
bases provide significant revenue to the country in the form of rents earning
it about $125 million a year in rents from the US, China, France, Japan and
Italy combined.
The first event of the 4-day African
Writers Day Conference was a welcome cocktail at the poolside of our new abode,
the cozy and homely Acacias hotel.
As I awaited the arrival of more
writers to the event, I went on a walking tour of the hotel’s outdoor
facilities. Next to the poolside was a well -stocked bar where some guests were
busy enjoying their drinks while beautiful music boomed out of a wall sized
screen that displayed the musician and a horde of dancers.
In a secluded dimly lit
section of the premises I chanced upon two hooded figures puffing away at a big
cistern of Shisha. From there, a wooden jetty that extended into the sea took
me away from the poolside into a starry night with a twilight view of the Red
sea and some distant boats and ships.
After savoring the seaside
beauty for a while, I turned round to discover another jetty-like promontory
where some guests could be seen enjoying candle lit dinners in private cubicles
that had been built into the sea side projection. From the seductive lacy
curtained interiors, beautiful music and the aroma of well spiced Arabian
cuisine wafted into the rarefied night.
In addition to a literary offering
of poetry readings and music, the welcome cocktail also offered writers the
opportunity to celebrate the cultural and culinary diversities of the African
continent.
For example, our Somalian
colleagues informed us that in Somalia the camel is celebrated in songs and
folklore as a symbol of status and prosperity, and exchanged in marriages or to
settle feuds. We were also regaled with the culinary beauty of camel meat and
milk. As they put it; ‘’ for many Somalis, a taste of home means eating camel
meat’’
We were equally informed that the
camel is considered a gift from the gods because of its economical and
nutritional importance for pastoral Somalis who live in a harsh and arid
climate. In addition to providing a source of meat and dairy, the animals are
employed as vehicles, laborers, and even as a type of currency.
The Literary cocktail also revealed
that ‘Ewedu’ (Jute leaves) a favorite soup among the Yorubas in Nigeria is
actually a common vegetable in parts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
While the vegetable is known in Ghana as ‘Ayoyo’ it is referred to as ‘Delele’
in Zambia, and ‘Green Soup’ in Egypt. It was equally revealed on that starry
evening in Djibouti that the vegetable which is alleged to have some medicinal
properties could also act as thickeners in soups, stews and sauces.
The main conference later took place
at the 300 capacity People’s Palace, a monument which is said to be a symbol of
struggle for freedom of the people of Djibouti. According to information, the
building which is a national symbol is made up of representative elements
linked to the ideas of Djiboutian liberators and at the same symbolism that
contains the shield of the nomad. Built in 1984 as a gift from the People's
Republic of China (PRC), the building contains the Monument of Martyrs who died
for the freedom of the Djiboutians from their French colonialists.
The Keynote Lecture which dwelled on
the theme of the Conference; African Literature in the New Normal: Technology
and Creative Writing, paved the way for a robust discussion on the need for
African writers to take advantage of the numerous available technological
opportunities to propagate African Literature without losing their relevance as
notable ambassadors of African culture.
Another highlight of the Conference
was the presentation of the Grand Patron of The Arts award to the Special Guest
of Honor to the conference, H.E. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic
of Djibouti who was physically present at the event.
In his remarks, the President who
himself is a writer affirmed the readiness of his government to support PAWA.
As he put it; ‘’ We will like to encourage you and support you in your
commitment to eradicate illiteracy to the promotion of literature in African
languages,” he assured.
As expected, the African Writers
took time off their conference to do a sight- seeing of the hitherto unknown
country. One of the places visited was Djibouti’s state-of-the-art port
complex reputed to be among the most sophisticated in the world.
The port serves as a key refueling
and transshipment center, and is the principal maritime outlet for imports to
and exports from neighboring Ethiopia. An estimated 2,500 ships are said to
pass through and call through the port every day.
It is strategically located at the
crossroads of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, linking Europe,
the Far East, the Horn of Africa and the Persian Gulf. The economy of Djibouti
relies heavily on the strategic location of its port since about a third of all
daily shipping in the world passes the north-east edge of Africa.
Also visited was the Djibouti
International Free Trade Zone (DIFTZ) which is currently under construction by
China. Free trade zones are special economic areas, usually based around major
ports, which allow for goods to be landed, stored, handled and manufactured
under specific customs regulations and generally without customs duty. Judging
from the tele-prompted designs, the writers were impressed by the futuristic
completed project which is said will become Africa’s largest free trade zone
when completed. The project which will span 4,800 hectares and offer dedicated
logistics, retail, business support and processing is expected to generate an
estimated 350,000 new jobs over the next ten years.
It will also host the Djibouti
Business District, a slick rendering facility that will jut out towards the
sea, with cruise ships docked on the waterfront and buildings grouped around a
series of concentric tree-lined boulevards. It will be a reminiscent of nearby
cities of the Arabian- peninsula or in the words of Mr Yemi Edun, a UK based
Property Expert and Guest of Honor to the Conference, ’the Hong Kong or
Singapore of Africa’.
As writers, it was expected that we
should also visit the National Library where the Director General (DG) of the
National Agency for the Promotion of Culture, Dr Mohamed Houssein Doualeh was
on hand to show us the artefacts, photographs and sculptors in the facility.
The affable DG also sought the assistance of PAWA members to relate with the
National Libraries of their respective countries.
The very important linkage between
the history of Djibouti and France came to light during our visit to the
Memorial Barracks of Djibouti. The facility which was commissioned by President
Guelleh on June 26, 2022, had many memorabilia of the Djibouti’s uprising of
September 14, 1966 against France.
From the Memorial Barracks, we all
trooped to the University of Djibouti for an interactive session with some of
the 7000 –student population University. Even though some of the students could
understand English, our literary engagement with the very enthusiastic and
excited students was conducted mainly in French.
At the end of the participation,
PAWA officials reached an agreement with the University to facilitate the
formation of a Writing and Reading Club in the 16- year old Institution. Our
interaction with the students was followed by a courtesy visit to the
University’s President, Djama Mohammed Hassan where we presented some books to
the University Library.
Our last official evening engagement
was a Literary and Cultural event tagged, ‘African Night’.
The rich and well organized event
took place at the high brow Sheraton Hotel located on Plateau du Serpent within
the Gulf of Tadjourah which was a walking distance from downtown Djibouti. It
was indeed an evening to be remembered as different cultural groups treated us
to traditional dances and music from several African countries such as Congo,
Djibouti, Ethiopia and Senegal among other countries.
To spice up these iconic
presentations, writers also gave poetry recitals and in some cases, musical
renditions and impromptu dances. The event was concluded with a delicious
buffet dinner that celebrated the culinary diversity of the Arab and African
worlds.
Another surprising discovery about
Djibouti was its enchanting landscape.
As our hosts put it; “Djibouti
is home to some of Africa's most incredible and otherworldly landscapes – the
original Planet of the Apes was filmed here! The two lakes – Assal and Abbé –
are the best of this, with amazing rock structures, limestone chimneys and gas
belching from the ground’’.
We were also informed that the
country is internationally renowned as a geologic treasure trove. Located at a
triple juncture of the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and East African rift systems,
the country hosts significant seismic and geothermal activity.
It was for the above reasons that
tourism in Djibouti is one of the growing economic sectors of the country which
attracts tourists year round with its convenient beaches and climate.
The main tourist activities are
scuba diving, boat cruise on the Red sea, fishing, trekking and hiking, bird
watching, sun, sea and sand.
Out of these lot, we settled for a
Boat cruise on the Red sea courtesy of Mr Houssein, the owner of our hotel, the
Acacias Hotel.
As we disembarked from the vehicle
that had brought us to the Marina end of the Red sea to begin our cruise, some
writers after a frightened look at the endless and massive sea, changed their
minds about the cruise. The rest of us thereafter filed into Mr Houssein’s
personal boat and after putting on our life vests, began the approximately two-
hour trip on the ancient sea.
The Red sea is a seawater inlet of
the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is
in the south, through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. It has a
surface area of roughly 438,000 km2 (169,100 mi2). It is about 2250 km (1398
mi) long, and — at its widest point — 355 km (220.6 mi) wide. It has an average
depth of 490 m (1,608 ft). It is the world's northernmost tropical sea, and has
been designated a Global 200 ecoregion.
As we cruised on the large mass of
blue water, the boat driver increased the speed of the boat’s engine making the
boat to rise and fall with succeeding sea waves in a breath taking style much
to the delight of the passengers.
As we continued sailing in
this exhilarating way, some of the warm and salty water sprayed into our faces
to confirm the fact that the Red sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in
the world. Its saltiness is due to high evaporation and low precipitation since
no significant rivers or streams drain into the sea while its southern connection
to the Gulf of Aden, an arm of the Indian Ocean, is said to be very
narrow.
‘’Are there sharks in the sea’’? I
asked Ibrahim our very affable guide who had been pointing out various
landmarks on the sea to us.
Some of the landmarks were
some islands as well as well some security posts on the waterway. ‘’Yes, but
the sharks are very friendly. They don’t attack tourists’’ he said.
We also passed large stationary
ships flying the flags of countries such as France, Germany, Italy among
others. Many of the ships were fitted with large guns and sophisticated
telecommunication masts ‘’The ships are carrying security personnel against
terrorists and sea pirates’’ Ibrahim said.
Although blue in color, it is
believed that the name, Red sea may signify the seasonal blooms of the
red-coloured Trichodesmium erythraeum near the water's surface. A theory
favored by some modern scholars is that the name red is referring to the
direction south, just as the Black Sea's name may refer to north.
The basis of this theory is
that some Asiatic languages used color words to refer to the cardinal
directions. The Red Sea is one of four seas named in English after common color
terms – the others being the Black Sea, the White Sea and the Yellow Sea.
After four exhilarating days
of good food, pleasant sceneries and wonderful people, it was time to go home.
The question now on the lips
of many of the writers was no longer ‘’Where the heck is Djibouti’’ but ‘’Why
the heck are we leaving Djibouti’’. I assured my colleagues that His
Excellency, President Ismail Omar Guelleh, had promised to make our visit an
annual event. Next time, we shall have more fun.
Hopefully, camel meat will be on the
menu and we can go scuba diving to the warm embrace of the friendly sharks.
