Strategic hub Djibouti launches Africa's biggest free-trade zone Djibouti launches the first phase of Africa's biggest free-trade zone, seeking to capitalise on its strategic position on one of the world's busiest trade routes. At ceremonies in the capital, President Ismael Omar Guelleh hailed the scheme as the culmination of infrastructure projects "boosting Djibouti's place in international trade and commerce." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES