20 000 joined protest against President in DjiboutiFebruary 18, 2011 - 21:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Police have opened fire on demonstrators in Djibouti, the Horn of Africa nation that hosts the only U.S. military base on the continent, according to the leader of an opposition party. “The police are confronting demonstrators,” Mohamed Daoud Chehem, head of the Djibouti Party for Development, said by phone from the protest in the capital, Djibouti. “They have opened fire,” he said, without being able to specify if anyone was injured or what type of ammunition was used. Chehem earlier said that as many as 20,000 people had joined the protest against President Ismail Guelleh, and that he expected numbers to swell to 50,000. Anti-government protests across North Africa since January ousted the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia, while similar demonstrations have occurred in Algeria and Libya. In Djibouti, Guelleh’s People’s Rally for Progress party has ruled the country since independence in 1977. The 63-year-old leader, who was elected in 1999, amended the constitution in March to allow him to extend his rule by two more six-year terms. Exiled Djiboutian opposition leader Abdourahman Boreh, who is currently in London, put the number of protesters today at as many as 5,000. The demonstration may extend beyond today, he said in a phone interview. “We will see how it goes,” Boreh said. “This is the first day. We will see how the government reacts,” Bloomberg reported. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Court in Azerbaijan extends former Karabakh leader’s arrest by 5 months The Binagadi District Court in Azerbaijan has granted the prosecutor’s petition to extend the arrest of Arkady Ghukasyan. Ucom General Director joins High-Tech Development Panel Discussion The discussion was titled "The Role of International Corporations and Investors as Catalysts for Development of High-Tech Ecosystem." U.S. still believes “peace is possible” between Armenia, Azerbaijan The United States continues to believe that peace is possible between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Vedant Patel says. Dozens detained as antigovernment protest continue in Armenia At least 63 people demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation were detained on May 14 as they blocked streets in Yerevan. |