2011 Djiboutian protests

Political protests in Djibouti 2011 Djiboutian protests the Arab Spring Location Djibouti AW.png 2011 01 28 – 2011 03 11(01 28 2011 03 11 2011) Djibouti Remove president Ismail Omar Guelleh from power Demonstrations, riots. Mass arrests of protesters and opposition leaders,deprivation of international observers Djibouti Protester Djibouti National Police Force Gendarmerie At least 2 fatalities 10 injuries The 2011 Djiboutian protests were widespread demonstrations and riots that took place between January and March 2011 in Djibouti, situated in the Horn of Africa. A member of the Arab League, the protests in Djibouti showed a clear influence from the concurrent Arab Spring protests in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. The demonstrations ended after mass arrests and the barring of international observers. Background President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh has been in office since 1999, but his government has been in power for 34 years. Recently, Guelleh changed the constitution so that he could have a third term in office. This proved unpopular with the Djiboutian population.http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/06/af-djibouti-protests/ Police, army forces in Djibouti prevent protest - Sunday, March 6, 2011 3:02 a.m. - Las Vegas Sun March 11, 2011 September 27, 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200927064251/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/06/af-djibouti-protests/ dead These protests occurred in the months leading up to the 2011 Djiboutian presidential election. Protests Before February 19 On January 25, thousands of people turned out to protest in Djibouti City. Similar to the events on January 28, only smaller. 300 people gathered in a square in the capital, Djibouti. On February 18, thousands rallied against the president, gathering at a stadium with the intention of staying there until their demands were met. However, the demonstration escalated into clashes after dusk, as police used batons and tear gas against stone-throwing protesters. Officials from the Union for Democratic Change, an umbrella group of three opposition parties, gave speeches at the demonstration calling for Guelleh to step down.Djiboutians rally to oust president Aljazeera English 18 February 2011 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201121816513686216.html 21 February 2011 14 October 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20111014051925/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/02/201121816513686216.html live February 19–25 On February 19, clashes were reported to be intensifying.http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110219-321179/Djibouti-police-protestors-face-off-for-second-day Djibouti police, protestors face off for second day INQUIRER.net 19 February 2011 19 February 2011 20 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150720223422/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110219-321179/Djibouti-police-protestors-face-off-for-second-day live Anti-government protestors clashed with security forces 24 hours after hundreds of demonstrators demanding the president step down hurled stones at riot police who fired back with tear gas. At least one policeman was killed, and sources said one protester had also been killed.http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Middle-East-Unrest-Bloody-Clashes-Between-Protesters-And-Police-Claim-Dozens-Of-Lives/Article/201102315936935?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15936935_Middle_East_Unrest:_Bloody_Clashes_Between_Protesters_And_Police_Claim_Dozens_Of_Lives https://archive.today/20120722180758/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Middle-East-Unrest-Bloody-Clashes-Between-Protesters-And-Police-Claim-Dozens-Of-Lives/Article/201102315936935?lpos=World_News_Carousel_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15936935_Middle_East_Unrest:_Bloody_Clashes_Between_Protesters_And_Police_Claim_Dozens_Of_Lives dead 22 July 2012 Middle East Unrest: Bloody Clashes Between Protesters And Police Claim Dozens Of Lives Sky News 19 February 2011 The protest leaders were arrestedhttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-djibouti-protests-idUSTRE71I1BQ20110219 Reuters Protests hit Djibouti as opposition leaders held 19 February 2011 5 July 2021 18 May 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210518015947/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-djibouti-protests-idUSTRE71I1BQ20110219 live The next day, Djiboutian authorities released three opposition leaders as opponents of President Ismail Guelleh clashed with police.Djibouti Opposition Leaders Free After Anti-Government Protests - Businessweek https://web.archive.org/web/20110222115430/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-02-19/djibouti-opposition-leaders-free-after-anti-government-protests.html February 22, 2011 Leaders of the United Sun Nations, opposition parties and protest organisers were set to meet on February 24 to plan mass protests for the following day. Police acting on behalf of Gulleh arrested 300 organisers during and after the mass protests on February 18, with reports of torture being used to sedate the activists. After the failure of the leaders to turn up on February 24, opposition leader Bourhan Mohammed Ali stated he feared the protests had lost momentum.http://www.afrol.com/articles/37449 afrol News – Mass arrests stopped further Djibouti protests 2011-02-28 2019-02-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20190201013447/http://afrol.com/articles/37449 live Protests had been planned for March 4, but it remained to be seen if the Djiboutians would be able to coordinate themselves without the 300 arrested leaders. February 26 – March 11 On March 3, Djibouti ordered its opposition party to cancel its anti-government protests which were to be held on March 4, 2011 due to a previous rally a month earlier turning violent. Mohammed Daoud, head of the opposition Djibouti Party for Development, said that protests would occur as scheduled.https://af.reuters.com/article/djiboutiNews/idAFLDE7220AJ20110303 https://web.archive.org/web/20110313045250/http://af.reuters.com/article/djiboutiNews/idAFLDE7220AJ20110303 dead 13 March 2011 Djibouti orders opposition to postpone protest 4 March 2011 Reporting by Abdourahem Arteh in Djibouti and Richard Lough in Nairobi Richard Lough David Clarke Reuters 3 March 2011 On the 4th soldiers and police filled the streets to prevent the planned demonstration from blocking the route to the city's main stadium where they were to have taken place and preventing the protest. A protest was planned for March 11, but security forces scuppered the protest and detained 4 opposition leaders.https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-11/djibouti-forces-arrest-opposition-leaders-scuppering-protests.html Djibouti Forces Arrest Opposition Leaders, Scuppering Protests Bloomberg.com 3 November 2011 11 March 2011 29 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110629045127/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-11/djibouti-forces-arrest-opposition-leaders-scuppering-protests.html live Censorship On February 9, the President of the Djibouti League of Human Rights was arrested.Djibouti: Human rights activist arrested in Djibouti: Jean-Paul Noёl Abdi https://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR23/001/2011/en 24 March 2011 11 February 2011 Amnesty International https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150842/http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR23/001/2011/en 13 March 2011 live On March 21, US election monitors were expelled from the country, whose task would have been to observe the April 2011 presidential election.Straziuso Jason Djibouti evicts US vote group ahead of election http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42141308 24 March 2011 Associated Press 18 March 2011August 2024 medicmedic Response The United Kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned against travel to Djibouti.Rogers Simon FCO travel advice mapped: the world according to Britain's diplomats https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/mar/23/fco-travel-advice-map 24 March 2011 guardian.co.uk Datablog 23 March 2011 London 24 June 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130624012136/http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/mar/23/fco-travel-advice-map live See also 2011 Djiboutian presidential election Arab Spring 2020 Djibouti protests 2018 Ethiopian Protests Eritrean Uprising References Category:Politics of Djibouti Djibouti Protests Djiboutian