Dokument #1200111
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
1) The Republic of Djibouti is formed of
two main ethnic groups: the Afar and the Somali. The latter
consists of several clans including the Gadabursi. Historically,
France, the colonial power, has empowered the Issas clan at the
expense of the Gadabursi. According to The Indian Ocean
Newsletter, the Gadabursis are a minority (13 Oct. 1990) and
non-native ethnic community which constitutes 15 percent of the
capital's population (22 April 1989). The Gadabursis are both
sedentary and nomad (Warsama and Botbol, 1986, 14). They are
composed of sub-groups: the Mahad-Assé, the Makahil, and the
Abar-Afan (Warsama and Botbol, 1986, 15).
2) According to the Issas, the Gadabursis
are foreigners in the country (Oberlé and Hugot, 1985, 125).
This information is corroborated by a specialist on Djibouti in
Montreal, contacted on 28 April 1991. The Indian Ocean
Newsletter indicates that the Gadabursis have, for a long time,
had strained relations with the Issas (13 Oct. 1990). This source
added that Issa and Gadabursi people compete for land in some areas
of northern Somalia (Ibid.). In its April 1989 issue, this
publication reports that several hundred Issas and Gadabursis in
districts 3, 4 and 5 have been fighting each other in the streets
(22 April 1989). These clashes followed a series of similar
confrontations between Gadabursis and Issaqs (Ibid.). This
source further reports that the underlying cause of this violence
was the conflict in north Somalia (Ibid.). In May 1990,
inter-ethnic riots in the Balbala quarter, where there is an Issa
majority, were fought against the Gadabursi (The Indian Ocean
Newsletter, 13 Oct. 1990).
The dominant clan in Djibouti, the Issas,
used the Gulf War to tighten their grip upon the two other clans,
the Gadabursis and the Afar (Kermel, 21 Feb. 1991). In September
1990, following an anti-French attack in a Café, the
government arrested four members of the Gadabursi community without
laying any formal charges (Ibid.). Although the result of a
French enquiry exonerated them, the Djibouti government nonetheless
fired several police and military personnel from the Gadabursi clan
(Ibid.). Jeune Afrique also reported the arrest by
government forces of several Gadabursi prominent personalities that
had following the hand grenade attack against the Café de
Paris (November 1990). The Indian Ocean Newsletter further
mentions that the Djiboutian authorities seem to hold a large part
of the Gadaboursi community responsible for the attempt at the
Café de Paris (13 Oct. 1990). According to The Indian
Ocean Newsletter,
"The gendarme's investigation provided an
opportunity for them to carry out a wide operation of intimidation
aimed at affluent members of the community in Djibouti
(businessmen, police officers and civil servants amongst others).
In total 64 people are said to have been questioned and detained,
some of them for many hours, and others for days"
(Ibid.).
This report indicates that these arrests
enable the authorities to, among other things, place the blame for
all the failures of national security, on a Gadabursi conspiracy
(Ibid.). The Indian Ocean Newsletter continues by
mentioning that the Djiboutian President gathered the traditional
Issa chiefs to warn them of the "Gadabursi threat"
(Ibid.).
3) and 4) According to a specialist on
Djibouti in Montreal, contacted on 28 April 1991, since the Issa
controls the government, the Gadabursi community is a victim of
discrimination in areas like jobs repartition since 1979. Hence,
they generally face obstacles in terms of social mobility. This
source further reports that the relations between the Gadabursis
and the Afars are good since they both suffer from the
ill-treatment of the Issas clan. The Djibouti government is afraid
of an alliance between the Gadabursis and the Afars because
together they will constitute the majority in the country. This is
also one of the reasons why the government refuses to establish a
multiparty electoral system.
For further information please refer to the
attached documents.
"Djibouti: Clashing Clans", The
Indian Ocean Newsletter, No. 379, 22 April 1989.
"Djibouti: Gadabursis-A Target", The
Indian Ocean Newsletter, No. 449, 13 Oct. 1990.
Youssouf, Ali, "Questions sur un
attentat", Jeune Afrique économique, No. 137,
November 1990.
Hugot, Pierre and Oberlé,
Philippe, Histoire de Djibouti, éd. Présence
Africaine, 1985.
Warsama, Omar, and Botbol, Maurice,
"Djibouti : les institutions politiques et militaires", La
Lettre de l'Océan Indien, 1986.
Kermel, Vincent, "Djibouti: Clauses
Secrètes", Politis, 21 February 1991.
"Djibouti: Gadabursis-A Target", The
Indian Ocean Newsletter, No. 449, 13 Oct. 1990.