Ahmed Dini Ahmed

Ahmed Dini Ahmed (Template:Langx, Template:Langx; 1932 – 12 September 2004) was a Djiboutian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Djibouti. He was trained as a health technician and entered the political realm at age 26.<ref name="jeune1">Template:Cite web</ref>

He served as Vice-president of the Representative Council of French Somaliland from April 1959 to June 1960, he was a member of the government of Ali Aref Bourhan in 1962–1964, he then participated in the foundation of the Afar Democratic Union (UDA). He was Minister of Home Affairs until 1971. In 1975, he became spokesman for the new African People's League for Independence (LPAI), led by Hassan Gouled Aptidon. He was elected President of National Assembly from 13 May 1977 to 13 July 1977.<ref name="nationalassembly">Template:Cite web</ref> He was succeeded by Saad Warsama Dirie.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In July 1977, he became the Prime Minister of the newly independent Djibouti. In December, after the bombing of the Palm in Zinc, and the consequent ban on the Movement for the Liberation (MPL), he resigned and returned to the opposition.<ref name="jeune1"></ref> He led the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD), an Afar rebel group, during the civil war of the 1990s; after the group split in 1994, he led a radical faction of FRUD.

Biography

Ahmed, a member of the Afar ethnic group, was born near Mount Mabla in the northern Djibouti.<ref name=Cherif>Cherif Ouazani, "Ahmed Dini Ahmed", Jeuneafrique.com, September 19, 2004 Template:In lang.</ref> Following independence, Ahmed became Prime Minister as well Minister in charge of Urban and Regional Planning (Aménagement du territoire) and the Creation of New Resources in July 1977.<ref>"Décret n°77-010/PR portant nomination des ministres de la République de Djibouti." Template:Webarchive, Journal Officiel de la République de Djibouti, July 15, 1977 Template:In lang.</ref> He resigned from the position six months later after clashing with President Hassan Gouled Aptidon.<ref name="news24a">Template:Cite web</ref>

Later years

He led FRUD in its armed struggle against the government, which began in 1991. He led the movement that engaged in a desert war against Issa domination which surfaced soon after independence was established.<ref name="news24a"></ref> FRUD split in 1994, and a moderate faction led by Ali Mohamed Daoud entered negotiations with the government (signing a peace agreement in December 1994),<ref name=PP>Political Parties of the World (6th edition, 2005), ed. Bogdan Szajkowski, page 180.</ref> while Ahmed continued to lead a radical faction which vowed to continue to fight.<ref name=PP/><ref name=Armed>"DINI'S FACTION REAFFIRMS PURSUIT OF ARMED STRUGGLE", Reuters, 30 September 1994 (Horn of Africa Bulletin, Vol. 6 No. 5 (September–October 1994).</ref> The radical faction held a congress in late September 1994 and elected Dini as head of its executive committee.<ref name=Armed/> Following the signing of a reconciliation agreement between his faction and the government in February 2000, Dini returned to Djibouti from Yemen on 29 March 2000, ending nine years of exile.<ref>"Djibouti: Opposition leader Ahmed Dini returns after nine years in exile", AFP (nl.newsbank.com), 29 March 2000.</ref>

In the January 2003 parliamentary election, he was the first candidate on the candidate list of the opposition coalition, the Union for a Democratic Alternative (UAD), in the District of Djibouti;<ref>"Décret n°2002-0261/PR/MID Portant publication des listes des candidats en vue des élections législatives du vendredi 10 janvier 2003." Template:Webarchive, Journal Officiel de la République de Djibouti, December 25, 2002 Template:In lang.</ref> however, the coalition did not win any seats.

He died on 12 September 2004 at a French military hospital in Djibouti.<ref name=Cherif/>