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Djiboutians want president out & 4 injured in Kuwait
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Saturday February 19, 2011 - 06:01:45 in Latest News by Super Admin
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Amid a tight police deployment, the demonstrators gathered at a stadium with the intention of staying there until their demands are met.
The rare demonstration in the tiny Horn of Africa country was organised amid mounting opposition to the president, who last year had the constitution amended to allow him to seek a third mandate in upcoming April elections.
“IOG out”, read one banner, using the president’s initials, as most Djiboutians do. “No to a third mandate”, read another banner.
Amid a tight police deployment, the demonstrators gathered at a stadium with the intention of staying there until their demands are met.
Officials from the Union for Democratic Change, an umbrella group of three opposition parties, gave speeches calling for Guelleh’s resignation.
The group’s leader, Ismael Guedi Hared, told AFP before the demonstration that Guelleh should leave power and called for a sustained protest movement akin to those that have swept the Arab world in recent weeks.
“For the moment, our goal is to remove Ismael Omar Guelleh from power,” he said.
Asked if he hoped for an Egypt-like scenario, he said: “Yes, that’s it.”
The 63-year-old Guelleh has been in power since 1999 and the new constitution allows him to stand for two more six-year terms.
Mogadishu (Sunatimes) The Egypt-Tunisia inspired protests’ domino effect is sweeping the MENA region, as people in Djibouti are calling their president to go out, while Syrians protest against the state’s police and the Arab stateless in Kuwait are asking for their rights.
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Thousands of opposition supporters, mainly students, gathered in Djibouti Friday to demand President Ismael Omar Guelleh step down, witnesses said.
The rare demonstration in the tiny Horn of Africa country was organised amid mounting opposition to the president, who last year had the constitution amended to allow him to seek a third mandate in upcoming April elections.
“IOG out”, read one banner, using the president’s initials, as most Djiboutians do. “No to a third mandate”, read another banner.
Amid a tight police deployment, the demonstrators gathered at a stadium with the intention of staying there until their demands are met.
Officials from the Union for Democratic Change, an umbrella group of three opposition parties, gave speeches calling for Guelleh’s resignation.
The group’s leader, Ismael Guedi Hared, told AFP before the demonstration that Guelleh should leave power and called for a sustained protest movement akin to those that have swept the Arab world in recent weeks.
“For the moment, our goal is to remove Ismael Omar Guelleh from power,” he said.
Asked if he hoped for an Egypt-like scenario, he said: “Yes, that’s it.”
The 63-year-old Guelleh has been in power since 1999 and the new constitution allows him to stand for two more six-year terms.
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Djiboutians want president out & 4 injured in Kuwait
Amid a tight police deployment, the demonstrators gathered at a stadium with the intention of staying there until their demands are met.