FBIS3-173 "drafr041_b_94001"
FBIS-AFR-94-041 Document Type:Daily Report 2 Mar 1994
EAST AFRICA Djibouti

Opposition Leader on Objectives, FRG Talks

PM0203094394 London AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT in Arabic 26 Feb 94 p 6 PM0203094394 London AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT Language: Arabic Article Type:BFN [Report by Ahmad Kamal Hamdi: "Djibouti Opposition Leader Tells AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT: Government Refusing To Conduct Peaceful Dialogue, Insisting on One-Party System] [Text] Bonn--Ahmed Dini Ahmed, former Djibouti prime minister and leader of the the opposition "Union and Democracy Front" in Djibouti, is on a visit to Germany. During his visit he met with a number of German Foreign Ministry officials in Bonn. He also visited a number of Arab and Islamic embassies and diplomatic missions there to explain political, constitutional, economic, and social conditions in Djibouti as well as the present situation in the Horn of Africa, especially after the international forces' withdrawal from Somalia, and the future of east African states. In a statement to AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT, Ahmed Dini spoke about the ongoing civil war between the government and the opposition in Djibouti, pointing out that the opposition in his country started out peaceful, constitutional, and away from any aspects of violence. But it was forced to resort to the use of arms because it is impossible to reach an understanding with the government, which insists on establishing a one-party system, violating human rights, and implementing illegal random death sentences. He added: 227 civilians have been executed in Djibouti so far. Ahmed Dini Ahmed added: The opposition in Djibouti tried to open a dialogue with the government of President Hassan Gouled through the mediation of some Arab and other states, but the government rejected any peaceful dialogue and escalated military repressive measures. As a result, the opposition was forced to resort to fighting. Nevertheless, it is still looking for reasonable means to reopen a dialogue and initiate negotiation. The Djibouti opposition leader, who headed the first independent government after independence in 1977, said that the opposition's aims are to establish a pluralistic, democratic system, to hold free and honest elections, to guarantee constitutional freedoms, to establish freedom of expression and the press, and to respect human rights. Ahmed Dini Ahmed told AL-SHARQ AL-AWSAT that he sensed from his contacts with officials in Bonn that Germany does not support the present regime in Djibouti because of its human right violations. And that the Federal Government has suspended its development aid to Djibouti since 1992, namely after the implication of the authorities and security men in the murder of 54 oppositionists. He said that Germany once offered the Djibouti Government a ferry for civilian use in Djibouti Port. But the government turned it into a military ship equipped with weapons and machine guns. When Djibouti refused to remove these weapons, Bonn announced the suspension of its financial, material, and security aid, keeping some development aid, especially in the area of water prospecting and irrigation and some agricultural development projects.