From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Sun Feb 22 2009 - 21:39:42 EST
The Indian Ocean Newsletter
N° 1254 24/01/2009
Army on the alert in the North
Facing problems with the population of Assa Gueyla, round-up of Afar
rebels on the Eritrea border, the Djibouti army is present throughout
the North of the country.
Since last week a detachment of the Djibouti army has been combing
through the regions near Margoita and Moussa Ali in the North of the
country, in an attempt to surprise Afar rebels in the armed faction of
the Front pour la Restauration de l’Unité et de la Démocratie (FRUD).
This zone is considered strategic because it is situated opposite the
border with two neighbouring countries, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Margoita
is where several water reservoirs were built by the French agronomist
Moise Labonne, who was expelled from Djibouti at the beginning of the
first war with Afar rebel movements in December 1991, being accused of
complicity with the FRUD. Situated close to the Moussa Ali Mountains
opposite Eritrea, Margoita is not far from Magdoul, a village 20 km
north of Assa Gueyla.
Tension in the latter locality between the local population and the
military has been very high since the death at the beginning of December
of the shepherd Hamad Mahamad Youssouf (ION 1251). The lieutenant
accused of killing him and who is believed to have admitted it, has
since been promoted to the rank of captain. Although he has been
transferred to Tadjourah, he is still situated in Assa Gueyla, as are
half a dozen other soldiers considered to be his accomplices. They too
were promoted exceptionally.
Since the government has not kept its promise to the local population to
relieve these servicemen from Assa Gueyla, the okals (local Afar elders)
should go to the Djibouti capital to ask the authorities to put those
responsible for the death of the shepherd on trial, compensate his
family and ultimately to change all of the servicemen currently at Assa
Gueyla.
http://www.africaintelligence.com/ION/detail/detail_articles/p_detail.as
p?DOC_I_ID=55135787
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sp?DOC_I_ID=55135787&context=HIS&contextinfos=&codeaffilie=A_INDIGO&Serv
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