EXTERNALAI Index: AFR 23/01/97

This is a limited action. Please restrict appeals to 25 per section.

UA 310/97Fear of torture or ill-treatment30 September 1997

DJIBOUTIMohamed Kadamy Youssouf, representative of the opposition Front pour la Restauration de L’unité et de la Démocratie, FRUD, Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy

Aicha Dabale Ahmed(f), relief agency worker and wife of above

Ali Mohamed Maki Houmed, FRUD military commander

Mohamed Daoud Chehem, former political prisoner

Kamil Mohamed Ahmed ("Kabir"), FRUD political official

Amnesty International fears that the five above-named people, opponents of the Djibouti government and members of the Afar ethnic group, may be at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

The five people were arrested in Ethiopia on 26 September 1997 and summarily handed over to the Djibouti authorities the following day. They are currently detained incommunicado in a security centre in the capital, Djibouti. Their arrests evidently relate to recent Front pour la Restauration de L’unité et de la Démocratie, FRUD, Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy activities.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The FRUD opposition group draws its support primarily from the Afar ethnic group. In December 1994, a peace agreement ended three years of fighting between FRUD forces and the Djibouti government. As a result many exiled FRUD members returned to Djibouti with some joining the government. The FRUD leader, however, former Prime Minister Ahmed Dini (now based in Paris), did not accept the terms of this agreement. He recently claimed responsibility for an attack on the Djiboutian army on 1 September.

The arrests in Ethiopia appear to be targeting Ahmed Dini’s FRUD group of which Mohamed Kadamy Youssouf is a representative. It is not clear whether his wife, who works for a non-governmental Afar relief organization and an international women’s organization, is involved with FRUD activities.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send telegrams/faxes/express/airmail

(A) to the DJIBOUTI authorities, in French or your own language:

- expressing concern that Mohamed Kadamy Youssouf, his wife Aicha Dabale Ahmed, Ali Mohamed Maki Houmed, Mohamed Daoud Chehem, and Kamil Mohamed Ahmed ("Kabir"), who were arrested in Ethiopia and handed over to the Djibouti authorities on 27 September 1997, are at risk of torture or ill-

treatment while detained incommunicado;

- appealing for them to be given immediate access to their families and legal counsel;

- asking for assurances that they are being treated humanely in custody;

- calling for them to be brought before a magistrate without delay, and if the authorities intend to prosecute them, that they are charged with a recognizable criminal offence and given a fair and prompt trial in accordance with international standards;

- asking for urgent investigation into whether Aicha Dabale Ahmed may have been detained solely on account of her husband’s political activities.

APPEALS TO:

Son Excellence Monsieur Hassan Gouled Aptidon,

Président de la République

La Presidence

BP 6

Djibouti, République de Djibouti

Telegrams:Le Présidence, Djibouti

Faxes:+ 253 355049 / 350174

Salutation:Monsieur le Président de la République

Monsieur Hassan Farah Miguil

Ministre de la Justice

Ministere de la Justice

BP 12

Djibouti, République de Djibouti

Telegrams:Ministre Justice, Djibouti

Faxes:+ 253 354012

Salutation:Monsier le Ministre

COPIES TO:

Monsieur Ali Dini

Batonnier de l’Ordre des Avocats de Djibouti

Barreau de Djibouti

BP 2461

Djibouti, République de Djibouti

and to diplomatic representatives of DJIBOUTI accredited to your country.

AND (B) To the ETHIOPIAN authorities, in English or your own language:

- expressing concern that five Djiboutian exiles in Ethiopia - Mohamed Kadamy Youssouf, his wife Aicha Dabale Ahmed, Ali Mohamed Maki Houmed, Mohamed Daoud Chehem, and Kamil Mohamed Ahmed, ("Kabir")- were arrested on 26 September 1997 and summarily handed over to the Djibouti authorities without any opportunity to raise concerns through a fair and public judicial hearing about possible violations of their human rights if returned to Djibouti;

- expressing fears of torture or ill-treatment while they are being held incommunicado in Djibouti;

- calling on the Government of Ethiopia to obtain from the Djibouti authorities assurances of their safety and the protection of their basic human rights while in custody;

- asking for a future commitment from the Government of Ethiopia that no-

one will be forcibly deported from Ethiopia to a country where they have well-grounded fears of becoming a victim of serious human rights violations, without a fair and public judicial hearing.

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Meles Zenawi

Prime Minister

Office of the Prime Minister

P O Box 1031

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Faxes:+ 2511 550722

Salutation:Your excellency

and to diplomatic representatives of ETHIOPIA accredited to your country.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 11 November 1997.