Kamaavi Posted March 2, 2011 Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh. File| Africa Review The tiny Red Sea state of Djibouti, with a population of 850,000, has succeeded – for now - to thwart anti-government protestors demanding the resignation of President Ismail Omar Guelleh. Djibouti, which is a member of the Arab League, could be the first ‘black’ African state to feel the wind of the Arab revolution. But the international media has been slow to ctach on. On February 18, an estimated 30,000 Djiboutians staged a protest in the centre of Djibouti city; clashes with security forces left two protesters dead. For the last three weeks protestors have been piling pressure on the government for reform. But a big ‘Day of Rage’ protest, which was scheduled for February 25, was easily contained by security forces. However, the impact of the protest lingers on in the day to day activities of the government. The government has deployed heavily armed police forces across the country and blocked protestors from gathering in the capital city. Also, more than 450 people alleged to be protest organisers, have been arrested. Most of those arrested, according to opposition politicians, are civil society activists. Source: Africa Review Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
