Djibouti: Situation of refugees and displaced persons (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 11 January 1999)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1999 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DJI31020.FE |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: Situation of refugees and displaced persons (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 11 January 1999), 1 February 1999, DJI31020.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab9444.html [accessed 13 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
The attached UNHCR document entitled The Refugee Situation in Djibouti, which was faxed to the Research Directorate on 22 December 1998, gives an overview of the refugee situation in that country, including the number of refugees (23,500), their profile, origins, situation and living conditions. The majority are Issas from Ethiopia and Somalia (UNHCR 22 Dec. 1998, 1; ION 31 Oct. 1998, 6).
The Djiboutian government has estimated the number of illegal immigrants and refugees in the country in 1997 at 70,000 to 100,000 (or 1/5 of the total population), mostly in the city of Djibouti (Country Reports 1997 1998, 95; La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH Sept. 1997, 14). The UNHCR, however, challenges this figure stating that a census is required to obtain a more accurate figure (ibid.).
The 1991-1994 war between the Djiboutian government and the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la restauration de l'unité et de la démocratie, or FRUD) also caused the displacement of tens of thousands of Afars (UNHCR 22 Dec. 1998, 4). While some have found refuge in neighbouring countries, others live in the city of Djibouti in appalling conditions (ibid.). However, the UNHCR notes that no census has been taken to determine their exact number (22 Dec. 1998, 4). According to The Indian Ocean Newsletter, most members of the Afar clan living in the northern part of the country do not have a national identity card (31 Oct. 1998, 6).
In some areas, particularly in the north where Afars are in the majority, a number of towns and villages were razed during the fighting between the Aptidon government and FRUD rebels, beginning in 1991 (ARDHD 11 Dec. 1998 ). Since that time, not only has the population refused to return, but some soldiers and their families (generally Issas) have occupied the lands and homes of those who left (generally Afars), thus discouraging the original inhabitants from returning (ibid.). According to Country Reports, even though the soldiers have been ordered to evacuate Afar property, some still remained at the end of 1997 (1998, 95).
Following recent attacks on government soldiers in the north by members of FRUD-Dini, General Zacharia Sheik Ibrahim, the chief of staff to the Minister of Defence, asked the tribal chiefs of the districts of Tadjurah and Obock, in a meeting in Obock on 21 November 1998, to have the entire population gather in the urban centres or along the coast in order to help create a military zone (ION 28 Nov. 1998, 6). Additional information on the government's military operations in the zone could not be found among the sources consulted.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Association pour le respect des droits de l'homme à Djibouti (ARDHO) 11 December 1998. Telephone interview.
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1997. 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter (ION) [Paris]. 28 November 1998. "Djibouti: Next Military Cleanout in the North."
_____. 31 October 1998. No. 831. "Djibouti: Resisting Illegal Immigrants."
La Lettre hebdomadaire de la FIDH [Paris]. September 1997. No. 248. "Djibouti, 20 ans après l'indépendance: une république en perdition."
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), delegation to Djibouti. 22 December 1998. The Refugee Situation in Djibouti. Document faxed to the Research Directorate.
Attachment
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), delegation to Djibouti. 22 December 1998. The Refugee Situation in Djibouti. Document faxed to the Research Directorate, pp. 1-4.
