Djibouti as a regional logistics hub: China’s 49th PLA Navy escort taskforce formally took over the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters mission, holding handover and joint patrol drills from China’s support base in Djibouti, underscoring continued pressure on shipping security. Energy trade & costs: A World Bank-linked update says Ethiopia’s power exports helped halve Djibouti’s power production costs, with Ethiopia earning $118.1m in 2024/25 exports as Africa’s electricity market still faces power and cross-border wire shortages. Red Sea shipping governance: A Saudi-led maritime defense coalition has moved into an operational headquarters phase for Bab al-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden, with Djibouti and other littoral states named among early participants. Digital economy push: Ethiopia’s ESL launched a digital customer self-service platform for port and cargo operations, aiming to cut paper processes and speed bookings, tracking, payments and demurrage handling. Big telecom investment: WIOCC secured a combined $300m from Africa Finance Corporation and Vision Invest to expand open-access fibre, data centres and subsea cable assets across Africa. Climate risk to livelihoods: UNICEF warns El Niño could affect 162m children across eastern and southern Africa, with Djibouti among the countries facing overlapping drought, heat and flooding threats.