# Governors of French Somaliland, 1884 to 1977

> Every French commandant, governor and high commissioner of Obock, French Somaliland and the Territory of the Afars and the Issas, 1884 to 1977, with dates and sources.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/institutions/governors-of-french-somaliland/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## In short

France bought Obock in 1862 but left it unoccupied until 1884. The territory was named [French Somaliland](/en/relations/france/) (Côte française des Somalis) in 1896 and the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas in 1967. Acting governors held the post between many appointed governors, and they are listed too. Wikipedia's list draws on World Statesmen; where the two disagree, we give the World Statesmen dates and say so in the note. ([Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html))

Each row below gives the holder's name in English and Somali spelling, dates in office and the source for that row. Dates are from [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html); where sources give different dates, the note says so. How we source: [How we check facts](/en/about/how-we-check-facts/).

## Obock and Dependencies, 1884 to 1896

| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Léonce Lagarde | 24 June 1884 to 7 August 1887 | Commandant | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Léonce Lagarde | 7 August 1887 to 20 May 1896 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |

## French Somaliland, 1896 to 1967

| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Léonce Lagarde | 20 May 1896 to 7 March 1899 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Antoine Mizon | 7 March 1899 to 11 March 1899 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Alfred Albert Martineau | 28 March 1899 to 13 April 1900 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Gabriel Louis Angoulvant | 13 April 1900 to 6 December 1900 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Alphonse Bonhoure | 6 December 1900 to 7 September 1901 | Governor; 1st term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Louis Ormiéres | 7 September 1901 to June 1902 | acting Governor; 1st term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Alphonse Bonhoure | June 1902 to 23 May 1903 | Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Albert Dubarry | 23 May 1903 to December 1903 | acting Governor; 1st term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Alphonse Bonhoure | December 1903 to 2 April 1904 | Governor; 3rd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Albert Dubarry | 2 April 1904 to 5 August 1904 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal | 5 August 1904 to 9 September 1905 | Governor; 1st term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Raphaël Antonetti | 9 September 1905 to 13 October 1905 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Louis Ormiéres | 13 October 1905 to 19 May 1906 | acting Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Paul Patté | 19 May 1906 to 19 June 1906 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal | 19 June 1906 to July 1908 | Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jean Baptiste Castaing | 11 July 1908 to 5 January 1909 | acting Governor; 1st term; dates from World Statesmen | [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal | 5 January 1909 to June 1911 | Governor; 3rd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jean Baptiste Castaing | June 1911 to December 1911 | acting Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre Hubert Auguste Pascal | December 1911 to April 1913 | Governor; 4th term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Henri Carreau | 25 April 1913 to May 1913 | acting Governor; 1st term; dates from World Statesmen | [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Adrien Jules Jean Bonhoure | May 1913 to 2 March 1914 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Fernand Deltel | 2 March 1914 to 7 February 1915 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Henri Carreau | 7 February 1915 to 14 April 1915 | acting Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Paul Simoni | 14 April 1915 to 19 September 1916 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Victor Marie Fillon | 8 October 1916 to 28 August 1917 | Governor; dates from World Statesmen | [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Édouard Geffriaud | 28 August 1917 to 8 September 1918 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jules Lauret | 8 September 1918 to 3 May 1920 | Governor; 1st term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| M. Lassaigne | 3 May 1920 to 29 June 1920 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Edmond Lippman | 29 June 1920 to 29 November 1920 | acting Governor; 1st term; dates from World Statesmen | [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jules Lauret | 29 November 1920 to 25 May 1922 | Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Edmond Lippman | 25 May 1922 to 8 January 1923 | acting Governor; 2nd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jules Lauret | 8 January 1923 to 22 February 1924 | Governor; 3rd term | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre-Amable Chapon-Baissac | 18 May 1924 to 9 July 1934 | Governor; dates from World Statesmen | [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jules Marcel de Coppet | 7 May 1934 to 18 July 1935 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Achille Louis Auguste Silvestre | 18 July 1935 to 20 December 1935 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Armand Léon Annet | 20 December 1935 to 1 May 1937 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| François Pierre-Alype | 1 May 1937 to 19 March 1938 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| François Pierre-Alype | 19 March 1938 to 27 April 1938 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Hubert Jules Deschamps | 27 April 1938 to 2 May 1939 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Hubert Jules Deschamps | 2 May 1939 to 25 July 1940 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Gaetan Louis Elie Germain | 25 July 1940 to 7 August 1940 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Pierre Nouailhetas | 7 August 1940 to 21 October 1942 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Auguste Charles Jules Truffert | 21 October 1942 to 4 December 1942 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Christian Raimond Dupont | 4 December 1942 to 26 December 1942 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| André Bayardelle | 30 December 1942 to 22 June 1943 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Michel Raphael Saller | 22 June 1943 to 7 January 1944 | acting Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Michel Raphael Saller | 7 January 1944 to 1 May 1944 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jean Chalvet | 1 May 1944 to 30 April 1946 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Paul Henri Siriex | 30 April 1946 to 1 March 1950 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Numa François Henri Sadoul | 1 March 1950 to 6 April 1954 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Roland Pré | 6 April 1954 to 13 August 1954 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| René Jean Albert Petitbon | 13 August 1954 to 7 August 1957 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Maurice Meker | 7 August 1957 to 1958 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Jacques Marie Julien Compain | 1958 to 16 November 1962 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| René Tirant | 16 November 1962 to 15 September 1966 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Louis Saget | 15 September 1966 to 3 July 1967 | Governor | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |

## French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, 1967 to 1977

| Name | In office | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Saget | 3 July 1967 to 5 February 1969 | High Commissioner | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Dominique Ponchardier | 5 February 1969 to 21 August 1971 | High Commissioner | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Georges Thiercy | 21 August 1971 to 1 August 1974 | High Commissioner | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Christian Dablanc | 1 August 1974 to 9 February 1976 | High Commissioner | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |
| Camille d'Ornano | 9 February 1976 to 27 June 1977 | High Commissioner | [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland), [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html) |

## Related pages

- [Presidents and Prime Ministers of Djibouti](/en/institutions/leaders-of-djibouti/)
- [Governors of British Somaliland](/en/institutions/governors-of-british-somaliland/)
- [Governors of Italian Somaliland](/en/institutions/governors-of-italian-somaliland/)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia, List of governors of French Somaliland](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_governors_of_French_Somaliland)
- [World Statesmen, Djibouti](https://www.worldstatesmen.org/Djibouti.html)

We also publish every row of every office-holder list as one open data file: [office-holders.csv](/data/institutions/office-holders.csv).

---
I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.