Djibouti:The eve of the parliamentary elections held in February 2013

The FIDH publishes a paper written jointly with ACP association on the situation of human rights in Djibouti.

–          An article published on 17.01.2013 in the daily La Libre Belgique

In a deafening silence, Djibouti saw oppression that comes to a new victim, Hafez Mohamed Hassan, 14 years old schoolboy, shot dead by the services of Ismail Omar Guelleh regime while demonstrating to protest the lack of sports facilities in the region of Obock . This is what happens when Djibouti elections approaching and we dare to assert their rights and demand free elections, fair and transparent. Since more than ten years, opponents, trade unionists, human rights defenders and citizens suffer brutal repression intensifies approach each election.

During the presidential April 2011, the results of this repression was the heaviest in the history of the country, dozens of young protesters killed, hundreds more arrested and detained for months. The former European Commissioner for Development and Cooperation, Mr Louis Michel, on site at the time of the facts himself had said at the time that “what has happened recently in Djibouti is obviously not acceptable. The EU must express his disapproval with force “. [1]

The EU is the largest donor to Djibouti where she has decided to strengthen its presence. In return for an annual rent of $ 30 million each, France, Japan and the United States will have an important military base for the fight against terrorism and piracy in particular. It is no longer possible accept such a regime continues to kill, to torture, to stop, to gag the press, freedom of association to prevent and repress peaceful demonstrations without reacting and continuing cooperation in the name of defending our strategic interests and commercial.

Faced with a disastrous social situation and intensification of harassment, opposition political parties have decided for the first time in ten years to participate in parliamentary elections in February 2013 rather than boycott. Mr Farah, president of the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Renewal and Development (MRD), has also decided to close its decade of exile in Belgium to return home and mobilize voters. Courageous bet when you know none of ten claims made ​​by the opposition to President Guelleh has been accepted and that no progress has been registered in respect of civil and political rights for more than a decade less.

Principle and lest the situation progressively degenerate in a region already highly unstable, the international community can not allow yet another election be held in Djibouti truncated and let continue the extra-judicial executions, systematic torture in prisons, arbitrary arrests and detentions, lack of press freedom and justice entirely dependent on the executive.

Help Djiboutians to speak and make sure to stop violations of human rights. In addition to the two technical experts dispatched to the scene by the EU support the cost of deploying a civilian mission and independent election observation. Finally, remember that the Djibouti authorities to strengthen our presence requires a strengthening of our requirements towards Djibouti in terms of respect for human rights. Argues that this requirement currently in disfavor of the candidacy of Ambassador of Djibouti Rachad Farah President of UNESCO. This same requirement is that you can not kill a schoolboy 14 years, which does not violate his mother, that we do not torture her father, that you do not run and that his brother is allowed to vote freely sister. Why would this requirement too high for Djibouti?

[1] in the situation of human rights in Djibouti on the eve of the 2011 presidential elections, ACP Publishing asbl.

–          http://www.fidh.org/Djibouti-Le-port-de-l-angoisse-12786