Djibouti became independent from France in 1977. Hassan Gouled Aptidon became the country's first president who had been in power until 1999, when Djibouti's first multi-party presidential elections resulted in the election of Ismail Omar Guelleh. Guelleh was re-elected president to a second term in 2005. A civil war erupted in Djibouti in late 1991 between the government and a predominantly Afar rebel group, and the war ended in 2001 following the conclusion of a peace accord between Afar rebels and the government. Djibouti is mostly barren, with little development in agriculture and industry due to its harsh climate, unskilled labor and limited natural resources. The country’s most important economic asset is its strategic location -- it connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. As such, Djibouti’s economy is dominated by the services sector, providing services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center.