The case of IOG versus Boreh: final curtain!

Since he broke off in 2009 with his former friend - and major contributor to his previous election campaigns - Abdourahman Mahamoud Boreh, President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (IOG) has constantly tried to bring him to his knees. The Djibouti government took legal proceedings against him in the United Kingdom for corruption and in several other countries. In an effort to criminalise Boreh, who was moving closer to the opposition in exile, the Djibouti courts condemned him in absentia for incitement to terrorism in 2010. Boreh then seemed to have been caught in the net, but IOG had his first setback when he was unable to have him extradited and when Interpol removed his name from its red list.

The UK courts have now humiliated IOG: On 17 June, the English Court of Appeal rejected the appeal lodged by President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh against the decision by Justice Julian Martin Flaux. On 2 March, Mr Justice Flaux rejected all the charges against the businessman turned dissident Abdourahman Mahamoud Boreh at the court in London. Justice Flaux went so far as to provoke IOG, describing Boreh as a "patriot" wanting to "improve his country".

In this special report, The Indian Ocean Newsletter details the very significant steps in the trial of strength between IOG and Boreh which has finally reached its conclusion. We have reported on the meanders of this case step by step, often exclusively.