• Djibouti prepares to operationalize its new National Cybersecurity Authority.

• The agency receives equipment and a defined mandate to oversee national cyber norms and incident response.

• The move aligns with the country’s ambition to become a regional tech hub by 2035.

Djibouti plans to bring its newly created National Cybersecurity Authority (ANC) into service as the country pushes to position itself as a regional technology hub by 2035. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) states that this ambition requires stronger commitments to cybersecurity to unlock the full potential of the digital economy.

Authorities advanced the ANC’s rollout last week during a meeting between senior officials from the Ministry of Digital Economy and the agency’s new director. The session reviewed the progress of ongoing cybersecurity projects, set priority cooperation areas, and organized the delivery of technical equipment.

The government supplies the agency with high-performance computers for incident response, international-standard firewalls and network-security systems, high-capacity servers for sensitive data, monitoring screens for security operations centers, and professional cybersecurity licenses. These tools aim to equip the ANC to oversee and enforce national cyber-defense measures.

The legislation establishing the ANC, which lawmakers examined on November 10, gives the agency responsibility for setting national cybersecurity norms and protection procedures for critical sectors. The law also mandates the creation of a national cyber-incident monitoring and response center, expanded international cooperation against cybercrime, and training and awareness programs for public and private actors.

This institutional buildup forms part of Djibouti’s broader push to secure its digital infrastructure as its digital transformation accelerates. The country has already adopted a National Cybersecurity Strategy and a Digital Code and hosts an annual National Cybersecurity Week. In October 2025 in Hanoi, Djibouti signed the UN Cybercrime Convention, joining 21 African nations among 71 global signatories. The country had previously ratified the African Union’s Malabo Convention on cybersecurity and data protection in November 2023.

Despite these steps, Djibouti remains in the second-to-last tier of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, posting 11.84 out of 20 in the legislative pillar. The ITU argues that Djibouti must increase efforts in organizational, technical and capacity-building domains, as well as in international cooperation, to close the gap with regional peers.

This article was initially published in French by Isaac K. Kassouwi

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum