Geodetic networks of different sizes have been established since 1973 in the Asal-Ghoubbet rift in south-western Afar in order to study crustal movements across an extensive plate boundary. Partial or entire remeasurements of these networks during the 1979--1986 interval provide detailed data about strain accumulation and vertical movements after a seismo-volcanic rifting event that occurred in November 1978 along this area similar to an oceanic accreting plate boundary. The results of the geodetic monitoring indicate a continuous opening of the rift zone of about 6 cm/yr since 1979. The deformation is principally distributed in the inner Floor of the rift with a uniaxial extensional N40¿E strain rate of about 15 &mgr;strain/yr. The results of the 1979 and the 1984--85 levellings define the development of a large uplift across the rift zone amounting 15 cm during this 6 year interval. This uplift is accompanied with a relative collapse of the Inner Floor zone of about 4 cm which is associated with creep on the active faults bounding the rift. Two stages of the rifting process are successively observed in Djibouti: an abrupt rifting event in 1978 and then a continuous accumulation stage which is controlled by the plate motion and partially by magmatic inflation and active creep faulting. ¿American Geophysical Union 1987