Police occupy Djibouti FA headquarters as clubs move to oust president
Police have occupied the headquarters of the Djibouti Football Federation (FDF) as a group of club presidents have moved to remove federation president Souleiman Hassan Waberi, who is also a member of the FIFA Council.
The standoff escalated on Monday after growing opposition to Waberi and his executive committee led to an extraordinary general assembly reportedly convened by clubs seeking their removal.
The FDF said police first entered its national technical centre at about 5:30pm on Sunday without presenting an administrative document or court order.
According to the federation, a larger police contingent returned on Monday and ordered Waberi, members of the executive committee, staff and other officials to leave the premises.
The FDF said 16 club presidents subsequently entered the headquarters under police escort and held what it described as a “purported” extraordinary general assembly.
The federation has labelled the meeting as illegitimate, arguing that the notice periods and procedures required under its statutes and electoral code were not followed.
It has therefore declared any decisions taken at the meeting “null and void.”
However, sources in Djibouti have disputed the FDF’s position, claiming that the required number of delegates attended the assembly.
The sources said the delegates unanimously voted to remove Waberi and his executive committee and established an interim committee to oversee the federation.
Weeks of pressure
Waberi, who also serves on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee, has faced increasing pressure in recent weeks.
In September, a coalition of 27 clubs announced plans to seek the removal of the executive committee, claiming it had secured the two-thirds support required under the federation’s statutes.
The FDF disputed that claim, saying it has 67 members and that 45 would be required to trigger an extraordinary general assembly.
As opposition grew, the government intervened, with Secretary of State for Sport Fatouma Ali Abdallah ordering the federation to convene an extraordinary general assembly within 72 hours.
< b>Appeal to FIFA and CAF
The FDF has appealed to FIFA and CAF over the developments, warning that the involvement of state security forces in removing elected football officials could amount to government interference in the affairs of a national football association.
Such interference could potentially expose Djibouti to FIFA sanctions, including suspension from international competitions and restrictions affecting its clubs and national teams.
Financial investigation
The leadership crisis comes amid a separate investigation into the federation’s finances.
Waberi and several other officials were arrested in September 2024 after a government inspection reportedly identified alleged financial and administrative irregularities, including weaknesses in procurement, cash management and financial controls.
Investigators also raised concerns about payments to third parties, unpaid taxes on salaries and wages, and alleged misuse of cash payments totalling almost £500,000.
Waberi, on the other hand, has consistently denied wrongdoing.
In August, after a club official accused the federation of misusing funds, Waberi said FIFA’s monitoring mechanisms had found no evidence of wrongdoing involving funds provided by football’s world governing body.
FIFA and CAF are understood to provide the FDF with more than US$1 million annually through development programmes supporting infrastructure and youth projects, including the Douda academy and artificial-pitch projects in Arta and Dikhil.
Some of these projects and their procurement processes have reportedly come under scrutiny, with concerns also raised about unfinished infrastructure.
The legitimacy of Monday’s assembly is now expected to be a key issue for FIFA and CAF as the dispute over the leadership of Djibouti football deepens.
Meanwhile, FIFA is yet to publicly state its position on the developments.
PAH/EB
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