Djibouti arrests dozens including opposition official over deadly violence
Jibouti — Djibouti’s security forces arrested at least 32 people including an opposition official Wesnesday on charges on organizing a religious ceremony raided by security forces last week in which at least 19 people were killed, prosecutor announced Thursday.
Djibouti’s government earlier said that the traditional religious gathering in Buldhoqo, a village near the capital which was held to commemorate the revered late Djiboutian religious leader Sheikh Yonis Muse aimed to spread chaos and plotted to destabilize the country.
Maki Omar Abdiqadir, Djibouti’s attorney general confirmed the arrest of the political dissents including the former religious affairs minster Hamud Abdi Suldan, saying that they organized the ‘violent’ gathering.
He singled out the former minster as a ‘mastermind’ of violence. The arrested people also included Omar Ali Iwado, who the government accused of spreading ‘false’ information related to the incident on the internet.
“I am warning the people of Djibouti to exercise caution when using internet to avoid crimes.” Mr. Abdiqadir told Voice of America’s Somali Service Thursday.
However, Dahir Ahmed, a spokesman for Djibouti’s opposition umbrella USN has expressed concern over the arrest of the former religious affairs minister who is member of the opposition groups, saying that he had wounds sustained from the violence at the religious gatherings when he was arrested.
“It’s a worrying development.” He said.
Last week, Djibouti’s prime minster Abdiqadir Kamil Mohamed said that an extremist group allied with the opposition parties organized the gathering which he said was held in violation of an earlier government ban against public gatherings across the country. The government also said it imposed a state of emergency on Djibouti for two months as the country is preparing to hold presidential elections in 2016..
His statement echoed earlier remarks by Djibouti’s president Ismail Guelleh who accused his country’s opposition parties of trying to create chaos by inciting violence as parts of their political campaign for the upcoming presidential elections in the tiny horn of Africa nation.
The long-serving president has recently announced that he would run the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, in response to ‘calls’ from his supporters who he claimed urged him to lead the tiny horn of Africa nation for the fourth time.
His administration which was credited with an economy growth and stability had maintained a firm grip over power in Djibouti; however, rights groups often accuse his government of silencing opposition politicians and journalists. Some of the opposition leaders were also chased to exile.
Elected as the President in 1999, Mr. Guelleh succeeded Hassan Gouled Aptidon, who had ruled Djibouti since independence in 1977.
He was re-elected in 2005 and again in 2011; however, his re-elections were boycotted by the opposition parties amid complaints over widespread irregularities.
Elections have taken place in Djibouti in every six years since the country’s civil war ended in the 1990s.
HOL