The Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (french: Front pour la Restauration de l'Unité et de la Démocratie, ar, الجبهة من أجل استعادة الوحدة والديمقراطية) is a

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific political ideology ...

Djibouti Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red ...

. It is aligned with the interests of the

Afar people The Afar ( aa, Qafár), also known as the Danakil, Adali and Odali, are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, as well as the entire southern co ...

who live in that country, although it has supporters residing outside of Djibouti.

Formation and rebellion

Rebellion against the government

Three Afar groups—Action for the Revision of Order in Djibouti, the Front for the Restoration of Right and Equality, and the Djibouti Patriotic Resistance Front—merged in 1991 to form FRUD. In late 1991, FRUD launched a

rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against the Issa-dominated government. Nearly 1,000 people died during the conflict until 1994.

New insurgency (1994-2014)

After the rebellion, the FRUD-C (Front pour la restauration de l’unité et de la démocratie – Combattant, or Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy – Combatant; alternatively called “FRUD Ahmed Dini faction”, “FRUD-Radicals”, or “FRUD-Armé”) was founded as a split from the original group and started a new insurgency against the government of Djibouti with the support of Eritrea with arms and probably logistics in an effort to cut the supply routes from Djibouti to landlocked Ethiopia during the

Eritrean–Ethiopian War The Eritrean–Ethiopian War, also known as the Badme War, was a major armed conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea that took place from May 1998 to June 2000. The war has its origins in a territorial dispute between the two states. After Eritr ...

, the insurgency caused 100 deaths. In may 2001, the FRUD-C signed a peace agreement with the government. On 2014 the violence return with 12 fatalities.

Party split

In 1994 the party split into two factions: a moderate wing, led by

Ali Mohamed Daoud Ali Mohamed Daoud, also known as Jean-Marie (born 28 August 1950.), is a Djiboutian politician and the President of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD). He is currently a member of the National Assembly of Djibouti. Life an ...

,''Political Parties of the World'' (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, p. 180 signed a peace agreement with the government on 26 December 1994 in Aba'a, while other wing, led by

Ahmed Dini Ahmed Ahmed Dini Ahmed (1932 – 12 September 2004) ( aa, Acmad Diini Acmad, ar, أحمد ديني أحمد) was a Djiboutian politician. He was trained as a health technician and entered the political realm at age 26. He served as Vice-president ...

, denounced this agreement and continued armed resistance.

Dini faction

The other faction held a congress in northern Djibouti for six days in late September 1994, and it announced on 30 September 1994 that the congress delegates "unanimously reaffirmed their determination to pursue armed struggle until their political goals are satisfied," while electing Dini at the head of the faction's executive committee.

Other faction

At the same time, the Daoud faction's determined to isolate the other faction's top leadership—Ahmed and its Vice-President Mohamed Adoyta Youssouf—deciding that they could not "speak on behalf of the FRUD or to commit it in any manner. As a result of its December 1994 agreement with the government, the moderate faction was given two ministerial positions on 8 June 1995: FRUD President Daoud became Minister of Health and Social Affairs, while FRUD Secretary-General

Ougoure Kifle Ahmed Ougoureh Kifleh Ahmed (born 18 November 1955
.) is a

Djama Djellai, an Issa, was chosen as First Vice-President, and

Ismael Youssouf Ismael may refer to: People * Ismael Balkhi, a political activist from Afghanistan * Ismael Blanco (born 1983), an Argentine professional footballer * Ismael Prego "Wismichu", a Spanish youtuber * Ismael Villegas, a Puerto Rican Major League ...

, a

Gadabursi The Gadabuursi ( Somali: ''Gadabuursi'', Arabic: جادابورسي), also known as ''Samaroon'' (Arabic: ''قبيلة سَمَرُون)'', is a northern Somali clan, a sub-division of the Dir clan family. The Gadabuursi are geographically s ...

, was chosen as Second Vice-President. The Executive Committee included several representatives of ethnic groups aside from the Afar: four were Issa, two were Gadabursi, two were Arabs, and one was

Isaaq The Isaaq (also Isaq, Ishaak, Isaac) ( so, Reer Sheekh Isxaaq, ar, بني إسحاق, Banī Isḥāq) is a Somali clan. It is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa, with a large and densely populated traditional territory. Per ...

. FRUD took part in the December 1997 parliamentary election in alliance with the ruling

People's Rally for Progress The People's Rally for Progress ( ar, التجمع الشعبي من أجل التقدم; french: Rassemblement populaire pour le Progrès, RPP) is a political party in Djibouti. It has dominated politics in the country since 1979, initially under ...

(RPP),''Political Handbook of the World: 1998'' (1998), page 261 (cited i
"Djibouti: Political opposition parties (This Response replaces an earlier version dated 13 January 1999.)
", Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (UNHCR Refworld), DJI31018.FE, 1 February 1999. and this alliance won 78.5% of the vote, taking all 65 seats in the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...

1999 presidential election

Ismail Omar Guelleh Ishmael ''Ismaḗl''; Classical/Qur'anic Arabic: إِسْمَٰعِيْل; Modern Standard Arabic: إِسْمَاعِيْل ''ʾIsmāʿīl''; la, Ismael was the first son of Abraham, the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions; and is cons ...

of the RPP stood in the

presidential election A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President. Elections by country Albania The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public. Chile The pre ...

held on April 9, 1999, as the joint candidate of the RPP and FRUD, receiving 74.02% of the vote. Prior to the election,

Abatte Ebo Adou Abatte is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: * Julio César Abatte, Argentine footballer *Abatte Barihun (born 1967), Israeli jazz saxophonist and composer See also * Abate (disambiguation) *Abbate Abbate and L' ...

, a FRUD parliamentary deputy, announced that he would stand as a presidential candidate and was expelled from FRUD as a result. For its part, the radical faction eventually signed its own peace agreement with the government in 2001. FRUD held its Second Ordinary Congress on 28–29 April 2002. Daoud was re-elected as FRUD President at this congress, and the party's Executive Committee was reduced from 27 to 19 members.

2003 parliamentary election

In the

parliamentary election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

held on 10 January 2003, the moderate faction was part of the Union for the Presidential Majority (''Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle'', UMP), which won 62.7% of the popular vote and all seats. The radical faction participated in the election as part of the opposition coalition, the

Union for a Democratic Change Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''U ...

Third Ordinary Congress

The moderate faction held its Third Ordinary Congress, attended by 1,250 delegates, on 30–31 May 2007. Daoud was re-elected as President of FRUD by acclamation, without opposition. At the congress, FRUD's National Council was expanded to 335 members; the FRUD Executive Committee named at this congress included 26 members, four of whom were women. FRUD was again part of the UMP for the February 2008 parliamentary election; the UMP again won all seats amidst an opposition boycott.IPU-PARLINE page for 2008 election
/ref>

References

{{Djiboutian political parties 1991 establishments in Djibouti Ethnic political parties Political parties established in 1991 Political parties in Djibouti Rebel groups in Djibouti