Why were opposition parties banned in Djibouti in 1981?

In the years following Djibouti's independence in 1977, the country experienced significant internal instability, including cabinet crises and the removal of officials accused of fomenting ethnic strife between the Afar and Issa populations.12

Opposition parties were banned in 1981 as a measure to consolidate control and minimize ethnic conflict within the political arena. Following this ban, the Popular Assembly for Progress (RPP) became the sole legal political party, establishing a single-party system that remained in place until 1992. While this move effectively suppressed overt political opposition, it also solidified the dominance of the Issa-led government within the civil service and the armed forces.123