MUSLIM HATE IN DJIBOUTI
Djibouti
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2002
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 31, 2003
The country has little industry and few natural resources; its population was estimated at 650,000. Outside the capital city, the primary economic activity was nomadic subsistence. Citizens were free to pursue private business interests and to hold personal and real property. The part of the annual gross domestic product not generated by and for the foreign community, which included approximately 8,000 French citizens, was estimated at no more than $250 (44,000 DF) per capita annually. Unusually low rainfall caused drought conditions that negatively affected some of the population. Much of the country's wealth was concentrated in the hands of a small elite.
The Government's human rights record remained poor, and serious problems remained. The RPP continued to control the political system and to suppress organized opposition. There was at least one report of the arbitrary or unlawful deprivation of life by the Government or its agents. There were credible reports that security forces beat, physically abused, and raped prisoners and detainees; however, unlike in previous years, there were no reports that security forces tortured detainees. Police beat protesters. The Government did not take steps to prosecute human rights abusers and official impunity was a problem. Prison conditions remained harsh. The Government continued to detain persons arbitrarily. Prolonged detention and incommunicado detention were problems. The judiciary was not independent of the executive and did not provide citizens' due process. The Government infringed on citizens' privacy rights. The Government restricted freedom of the press. The Government limited freedom of assembly, used force to disperse demonstrations and strikes, and restricted freedom of association. While the Government respected freedom of religion in general, it discouraged proselytizing. There were some limits on freedom of movement. The Government remained antagonistic to the formation of human rights groups. Violence and discrimination against women persisted, and, although the Government prohibited such practices, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) continued to be widespread. Discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, nationality, and clan background persisted. The Government restricted unions and harassed and intimidated their leaders. Child labor exists.