Police have shut down about 40 "unauthorised bars" over the past week.

Government officials say the bars were a focus of both male and female prostitution, drunkenness, drugs, fighting and paedophilia.

"These activities are shameless activities that I cannot name," Interior Minister Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil said, adding that the move would "preserve good morals in a Muslim country" and also combat drug use, which had reached "alarming" proportions.

Bars in Djibouti cater mainly to foreigners, notably to troops from France, whose biggest military base in Africa is located there.

Until last week, the city centre bustled at night with French soldiers drinking in bars teeming with prostitutes from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen.

France is committed under a treaty to the external defence of Djibouti and has about 3,200 soldiers and foreign legionnaires in the country, although that number is to be cut to 2,500.

Loophole

Djibouti's authorities tried to clamp down on its red light district with a 1995 decree that said alcohol could only be sold in private clubs, restaurants or hotels with at least 10 rooms.

But bar owners quickly found an obvious loophole.

"The only things that changed were that the neon signs flashed out "Restaurant" at the entrance to these bars," said Ali Asmail Yabeh, a senior Interior Ministry official.