Aljazeera and its relation to dictators in the Horn of Africa

It was with dismay I saw Aljazeera’s ”AL MELAFF" programme  sent the other day  about the Republic of Djibouti. I was uncomfortable from the beginning when I saw the journalist going around with a government car and a private driver and already, and certainly many viewers would feel the same. The journalist not only showed lack of knowledge about the country, but also his partiality as a journalist of a prestigious channel like Aljazeera. It seemed that he chose consciously whom he would interview. He left out an entire ethnic group who inhabit the 3 / 4 of the country and who have been marginalized since independence in 1977^.  Namely, the Afar people. The journalist went further and said to the president that he was even popular among the opposition and they wanted him to continue in the presidency beyond that time the constitution allowed. He could get a proper answer if he asked the real opposition both inside the country Union pour l'Alternance Démocratique (UAD) and the armed opposition Front pour la Restauration de l’Unité et de la Democratie (FRUD) but he again chose to meet not the oppsition but the friends of the president. Ali Mohamed Daoud of former FRUD of Abaa’ whom he was quoting is one of those .He  does not belong to any opposition in the contrary his party is in coalition with the president’s party Rassemblement Populaire pour le Progrès (RPP) in Union pour la Majorité Présidentielle (UMP).

The situation in the country is described as following by Alliance Républicaine pour le Développement (ARD) which previously was known under the name FRUD-armé and now is part of UAD, the legal umbrella of opposition parties: 

1) The growing deterioration of living conditions of the citizens, despite the increase in revenue generated by the various foreign military bases and the personnel working in them. 

2) The yet another presidential term, the president is trying to pass  while any democratic transition is institutionally impossible and still seriously citizenship at different.  
3) Worsening of injustice at the root of the conflict and its current upswing.

  
Finally, ten years after the Framework Agreement of February 7, 2000, reached in Paris between the government and the politico-military FRUD the situation on the ground remains unchanged.

Unfortunately, the Arab media in general over the past 30 years has played a remarkable role in coverage of Djibouti, but the worst among them are  Shark Al Awsat News Paper and Jeune Afrique that many democracy thirsty Djiboutians have stopped to read. Aljazeera has, so far, not been part of this infamous group.

It is therefore important that Aljazeera management should be concerned about the integrity of this popular Pan Arab Channel.

Taher Baruli

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Comments (1) >>

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written by Mohammed Ali, May 29, 2010

I am totally agree with Mr Baruli. I am not surprising about Arab journalism and their unprofessionalism, haw can we expect decent journalist where there is not a journalist because they are just employee and writers (state pen) Those few genuine Arab journalist they are not permitted to exercise their profession simply they are classified as dissident.
Moreover the bitter fact and naked true is most of Arabs countries dislike the Afar Nation because of strategic reason as they hate Kurds. Sir/Madam find out the main political and strategic reason...

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