Djibouti: Information on the government's treatment of supporters of the Ahmed Dini-led faction of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) since the 1994 peace accord
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 June 1996 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | DJI24306.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Djibouti: Information on the government's treatment of supporters of the Ahmed Dini-led faction of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) since the 1994 peace accord, 1 June 1996, DJI24306.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab2880.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. |
Information on the government's treatment of supporters of the Ahmed Dini -led faction of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. However, the following information about the Dini-led faction may be of interest.
According to Africa Confidential and Africa Research Bulletin, Ahmed Dini is still in exile, and remains opposed to the peace agreement FRUD signed with the government in December 1994 (AC 15 Dec. 1995, 8; ARB 26 Apr. 1996, 12195). When FRUD became a legal political party in March 1996, Dini denounced the legalization of the Afar movement as a solution to the country's problems (ibid.). Dini has also spoken out against the integration of former FRUD fighters into the national army, which was one of the conditions of the peace agreement (Horn of Africa Bulletin Mar.-Apr. 1995, 4).
Since the peace agreement Dini's faction has carried out sporadic attacks against government targets (ION 27 Jan. 1996, 4; ibid. 23 Dec. 1995, 2; ibid. 16 Dec. 1995, 4; ibid. 4 Nov. 1995, 2).
According to The Indian Ocean Newsletter, senior government figures want the army to eliminate the remaining FRUD rebels (23 Mar. 1996a, 1). However, no details are provided by the source. This source also reports that a new political/military organization called FRUD-Renaissance has been created by a former FRUD leader, Ibrahim Chehem Daoud, who was seeking to distance himself from Dini, although he too is opposed to the peace accord (ibid. 23 Mar. 1996b, 8).
For additional information on FRUD activities, please consult the attachments.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB 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 additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Africa Confidential [London]. 15 December 1995. Vol. 36, No. 25. "Djibouti: Follow My Leader."
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. 26 April 1996. Vol. 33, No. 3. "Djibouti: FRUD Legalised."
Horn of Africa Bulletin [Uppsala]. March-April 1995. Vol. 7, No. 2. "Some 300 Former FRUD Fighters Join National Army."
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 23 March 1996a. No. 711. "Djibouti: Succession Goes on the Agenda."
_____. 23 March 1996b. No. 711. "Ibrahim Chehem Daoud."
_____. 27 January 1996. No. 703. "Djibouti - Fresh Firefights."
_____. 23 December 1995. No. 699. "Djibouti: Two Notables Held."
_____. 16 December 1995. No. 698. "Djibouti- FRUD Fires Up."
_____. 4 November 1995. No. 692. "Djibouti: Rebel Attacks."
Attachments
Africa Confidential [London]. 15 December 1995. Vol. 36, No. 25. "Djibouti: Follow My Leader," p. 8.
Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. 26 April 1996. Vol. 33, No. 3. "Djibouti: FRUD Legalised," pp. 12195-96.
_____. 29 February 1996. Vol. 33, No. 1. "Djibouti: FRUD Becomes Party," p. 12120.
Horn of Africa Bulletin [Uppsala]. March-April 1995. Vol. 7, No. 2. "Some 300 Former FRUD Fighters Join National Army," p. 4.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 23 March 1996a. No. 711. "Djibouti: Succession Goes on the Agenda," p. 1.
_____. 23 March 1996b. No. 711. "Ibrahim Chehem Daoud," p. 8.
_____. 16 March 1996. No. 710. "Djibouti: FRUD Comes Legal," p. 2.
_____. 27 January 1996. No. 703. "Djibouti - Fresh Firefights," p. 4.
_____. 23 December 1995. No. 699. "Djibouti: Two Notables Held," p. 2.
_____. 16 December 1995. No. 698. "Djibouti- FRUD Fires Up," p. 4.
_____. 4 November 1995. No. 692. "Djibouti: Rebel Attacks," p. 2.
Additional Sources Consulted
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1995.
DIRB Djibouti Country File. June 1995-June 1996.
DIRB Djibouti Amnesty Country File. June 1995-June 1996.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service (FBIS) Daily Reports. June 1995-June 1996.
Human Rights Watch World Report 1996.
News from Africa Watch. Various reports.
On-line searches of media articles (NEXIS).
Oral sources.
Note on oral sources:
Oral sources are usually contacted when documentary sources have been exhausted. However, oral sources must agree to be quoted in a publicly available Response to Information Request. If they refuse, the Response will read "no information could be found among the sources consulted." Contacting oral sources is also subject to time constraints; for example, there are periods of the year when academics are unavailable. Long distance calls to Africa are often constrained by limited telecommunications capacity.
