US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1196

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001196 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2014 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, DJ 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTIAN OPPOSITION LEADER DIES 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Reed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) President of the Djiboutian opposition party 
Republican Alliance for Democracy (ARD), Ahmed Dini Ahmed, 
died during the morning of 12 September 2004 at Peltier 
Hospital.  Dini had been suffering from lung cancer, which 
progressed into metastasis.  President Ismail Omar Guelleh 
reportedly visited Dini at the hospital last week and offered 
medical evacuation to France.  Dini reportedly refused the 
offer and chose to die in Djibouti. 
 
2. (U) President Guelleh sent a message of condolence to 
Dini's family, stating that "the Almighty had recalled our 
brother and fellow citizen."  He continued that "on behalf of 
the nation and myself personally, I am eager to express to 
the family of Ahmed Dini our deepest condolences."  Guelleh 
described Dini as a combatant for freedom, and a statesman of 
great qualities who has always known hot to fight for his 
faith and his opinions.  La Nation, the local Djiboutian 
government daily, carried a front page article on what it 
described as the "disappearance" of a great figure in 
national politics. 
 
3. (U) BIO: Ahmed Dini Ahmed, 70 years old, has been a 
prominent and important figure in Djiboutian politics since 
the days of colonial administration by France.  Born in the 
northern district of Obock in 1932, Dini began his political 
activity early and was very active in the labor unions.  He 
became a deputy in the Assemblee Territoriale de la Cote 
Francaise (Territorial Parliament) in 1959 and served twice 
as Minister in the territorial government.  Dini then turned 
his efforts towards independence for the country and with 
Hassan Gouled Aptidon, became one of the most ferocious 
opponents of the territorial government from 1967 to 1977. 
When Hassan Gouled Aptidon came to power at independence, 
Dini joined him as Prime Minister.  Approximately one year 
after independence, Dini went into voluntary exile after a 
disagreement with Aptidon.  In 1991, Dini rejoined the 
Djiboutian opposition, rising quickly to the top of the FRUD 
party.  Dini was at the head of the radical wing of the FRUD 
party during the civil war, and refused to sign the 1994 
peace agreements.  However, he did sign the final peace 
accord in 2001.  When the restrictions on how many political 
parties could exist ended, Dini created the opposition party 
Alliance Republicaine pour la Democratie (ARD Republican 
Alliance for Democracy), which has been the pillar at the 
center of the opposition coalition Union pour l'Alternance 
Democratique (UAD Union for Democratic Alternance). 
 
4. (C) Comment: Pol Asst reported that the sentiment around 
town during the evening of 12 September was fearful.  The 
number of police checkpoints throughout the city was notably 
increased.  (Note: RSO's information indicates that this was 
most likely precautionary against public suspicion of foul 
play. End Note.)  Dini was buried just outside of Djibouti 
City at 9pm on 12 September.  The burial was attended by many 
Government officials and a huge number of his family, as well 
as the Sultan of Tadjourah and the traditional leaders of 
Tadjourah. 
 
5. (C) Dini's death will have a significant impact on the 
Djiboutian political scene, most especially the political 
face of the opposition. Dini was an integral part of 
Djiboutian politics for more than 50 years.  Dini was also 
known as one of the strongest personalities in the 
opposition.  The succession to Dini's position is likely to 
be a struggle between those that see themselves as legitimate 
successors, his family and sons, and those that claim to have 
been Dini's companion during his twenty years of exile.  The 
reaction and attitude of the other three opposition parties 
is a factor that also remains uncertain. End Comment. 
RAGSDALE