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Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy

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The Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (French: Front pour la Restauration de l'Unité et de la Démocratie, Arabic: الجبهة من أجل استعادة الوحدة والديمقراطية) is a political party in Djibouti. It is aligned with the interests of the Afar people who live in that country, although it has supporters residing outside of Djibouti.

Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy
Front pour la Restauration de l'Unité et de la Démocratie
PresidentAli Mohamed Daoud
Founded1991 (1991)
HeadquartersDjibouti City
IdeologyAfar interests
National affiliationUnion for the Presidential Majority
National Assembly
0 / 65
Party flag

History

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Uprising against the government and party split

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Three Afar groups—Action for the Revision of Order in Djibouti, the Front for the Restoration of Right and Equality, and the Djibouti Patriotic Resistance Front—merged in 1991 to form FRUD. In late 1991, FRUD launched a rebellion against the Issa-dominated government.

Nearly 1,000 people died during the conflict until 1994.[1] In that year, the party split into two factions: a moderate wing, led by Ali Mohamed Daoud,[2] signed a peace agreement with the government on 26 December 1994 in Aba'a,[3] while other wing, led by Ahmed Dini Ahmed, denounced this agreement and continued armed resistance.[2] The radicals held a congress in northern Djibouti for six days in late September 1994, and announced on 30 September 1994 that the congress delegates "unanimously reaffirmed their determination to pursue armed struggle until their political goals are satisfied," while electing Dini at the head of the faction's executive committee.[4]

Insurgency by FRUD-C

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FRUD insurgency
Date27 December 1994 - present
(29 years, 10 months, 2 weeks and 5 days)
Location
Djibouti
Belligerents
  Djibouti
Supported by:
  Ethiopia		   FRUD-C ("Armed FRUD")[5]
Supported by:
  Eritrea (1998-2000)[6]
Commanders and leaders
  Hassan Gouled Aptidon (1994-1999)
  Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (1999-present)		   Ahmed Dini Ahmed #
Casualties and losses
Unknown Unknown
112 deaths in total (until 2022)[7]

After the party's split, the FRUD-C (Front pour la restauration de l’unité et de la démocratie – Combattant, or Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy – Combatant; alternatively called "FRUD Ahmed Dini faction", "FRUD-Radicals", "FRUD-Armé" or "Armed FRUD") was organized by those FRUD members determined to keep fighting. They continued an insurgency against the government of Djibouti with the support of Eritrea with arms and probably logistics in an effort to cut the supply routes from Djibouti to landlocked Ethiopia during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War. Up to 2014, the insurgency caused 100 deaths.[5][8]

Since then, there have only been few attacks. In January 2021, FRUD-C killed a policeman.[5] On 7 October 2022, FRUD-C attacked a military barracks in Garabtisan, killing seven soldiers, wounding four. Six were reported as missing. This assault was strongly denounced not only by Djibouti's government,[5][9] but also FRUD's moderate faction as "unjustifiable in the current context of political pluralism."[9]

Activity of the moderate faction

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While the radical FRUD elements continued to fight, the Daoud faction began to participate in national politics.

As a result of its December 1994 agreement with the government, the moderate faction was given two ministerial positions on 8 June 1995: FRUD President Daoud became Minister of Health and Social Affairs, while FRUD Secretary-General Ougoure Kifle Ahmed became Minister of Agriculture and Water Resources.[10] The moderate faction was formally legalized in March 1996.[11] On 15–16 April 1997, it held its First Ordinary Congress, electing a 153-member National Council and a 21-member Executive Committee. Although the party continued to be led by Daoud, who is an Afar, the composition of the leadership selected at this congress reflected the party's efforts to appeal to other ethnic groups aside from its Afar base. Djama Djellai, an Issa, was chosen as First Vice-President, and Ismael Youssouf, a Gadabursi, was chosen as Second Vice-President. The Executive Committee included several representatives of ethnic groups aside from the Afar: four were Issa, two were Gadabursi, two were Arabs, and one was Isaaq.[12] FRUD took part in the December 1997 parliamentary election in alliance with the ruling People's Rally for Progress (RPP),[2][13] and this alliance won 78.5% of the vote, taking all 65 seats in the National Assembly.[13]

1999 presidential election

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Ismail Omar Guelleh of the RPP stood in the presidential election held on April 9, 1999, as the joint candidate of the RPP and FRUD, receiving 74.02% of the vote.[14] Prior to the election, Abatte Ebo Adou, a FRUD parliamentary deputy, announced that he would stand as a presidential candidate and was expelled from FRUD as a result.[15]

For its part, the radical faction eventually signed its own peace agreement with the government in 2001.[2]

FRUD held its Second Ordinary Congress on 28–29 April 2002. Daoud was re-elected as FRUD President at this congress, and the party's Executive Committee was reduced from 27 to 19 members.[16]

2003 parliamentary election

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In the parliamentary election held on 10 January 2003, the moderate faction was part of the Union for the Presidential Majority (Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle, UMP), which won 62.7% of the popular vote and all seats.[2] The radical faction participated in the election as part of the opposition coalition, the Union for a Democratic Change.[17]

Third Ordinary Congress

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The moderate faction held its Third Ordinary Congress, attended by 1,250 delegates,[18] on 30–31 May 2007. Daoud was re-elected as President of FRUD by acclamation, without opposition. At the congress, FRUD's National Council was expanded to 335 members; the FRUD Executive Committee named at this congress included 26 members, four of whom were women.[19] FRUD was again part of the UMP for the February 2008 parliamentary election;[20] the UMP again won all seats amidst an opposition boycott.[21]

Electoral history

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National Assembly elections

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Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
1997 Ali Mohamed Daoud 72,073
joint candidate with RPP 		78.56%
54 / 65
   54   1st RPP-FRUD coalition government
2003 53,293
as part of the UMP 		62.7%
65 / 65
   11   1st UMP coalition government
2008 103,463
as part of the UMP 		94.06%
65 / 65
     1st UMP coalition government
2013 74,016
as part of the UMP 		61.5%
55 / 65
   10   1st UMP coalition government
2018 105,278
as part of the UMP 		87.83%
57 / 65
   2   1st UMP coalition government
2023 159,658
as part of the UMP 		93.68%
58 / 65
   1   1st UMP coalition government


References

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  1. ^ Marshall, Monty G. (16 April 2015). "Major Episodes of Political Violence 1946–2014". Center for Systemic Peace. Retrieved 26 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, p. 180
  3. ^ "«Le FRUD a toujours apporté son soutien à l’action du chef de l’Etat et continuera de le faire dans l’avenir », déclare le président du FRUD, M. Mohamed Ali Daoud"[permanent dead link], ADI, 20 June 2002 (in French).
  4. ^ "DINI'S FACTION REAFFIRMS PURSUIT OF ARMED STRUGGLE", Reuters, 30 September 1994 (Horn of Africa Bulletin, Vol. 6 No. 5 (September–October 1994).
  5. ^ a b c d "Armed attackers kill seven Djibouti soldiers, presidential adviser says". Defense Post. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  6. ^ "UCDP - Uppsala Conflict Data Program". ucdp.uu.se. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  7. ^ "UCDP - Uppsala Conflict Data Program". ucdp.uu.se. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  8. ^ "ACLED Version 5 (1997 – 2014), See file n Djibouti". Archived from the original on 22 May 2015. Retrieved 2022-08-12.
  9. ^ a b "Djibouti Says Seven Soldiers Killed in Rebel Attack". Defense Post. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  10. ^ Christophe Farah, "EX-REBELS IN DJIBOUTI'S COALITION GOVERNMENT", Reuters, June 9, 1995.
  11. ^ "Djibouti: Political opposition parties (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 13 January 1999. Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine", Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (UNHCR Refworld), DJI31018.FE, 1 February 1999.
  12. ^ "First FRUD congress held", Indian Ocean Newsletter, 16 April 1997 (Horn of Africa Monthly Review, 21 February–28 April 1997).
  13. ^ a b Political Handbook of the World: 1998 (1998), page 261 (cited in "Djibouti: Political opposition parties (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 13 January 1999.) Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine", Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (UNHCR Refworld), DJI31018.FE, 1 February 1999.
  14. ^ "Proclamation du Président de la République de Djibouti par le Conseil Constitutionnel." Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine, Journal Officiel de la République de Djibouti (in French).
  15. ^ "Djibouti: Flap in FRUD", Indian Ocean Newsletter, No. 839, 2 January 1999 (cited in "Djibouti: Political opposition parties (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 13 January 1999.) Archived May 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine", Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (UNHCR Refworld), DJI31018.FE, 1 February 1999).
  16. ^ "Le Conseil National du FRUD élit les 19 membres de son Comité Exécutif"[permanent dead link], ADI, 4 May 2008 (in French).
  17. ^ "Djiboutis to vote Friday in Parliamentary polls" Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine, Middle East Online, 9 January 2003.
  18. ^ "Sous le signe des réformes" Archived 2007-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, La Nation, 31 May 2007 (in French).
  19. ^ "M. Ali Mohamed Daoud réélu président du Frud" Archived 2007-08-16 at the Wayback Machine, ADI, 3 June 2007 (in French).
  20. ^ "14% de sièges aux femmes" Archived 2008-01-19 at the Wayback Machine, La Nation, 16 January 2008 (in French).
  21. ^ IPU-PARLINE page for 2008 election
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