Djibouti FA faces revolt as clubs seek president’s removal

The president of the Djibouti Football Federation, Souleiman Waberi, is facing the biggest challenge of his 14-year tenure after 27 clubs formally demanded an extraordinary general assembly to vote on removing the federation’s executive committee.

The request, submitted on 3 September, follows weeks of unrest within the federation, including allegations over the handling of financial resources and the resignation of steering committee member Mohamed Elmi Farah.

The coalition of clubs accuses the federation of a series of governance failures, including a lack of financial transparency, failure to publish mandatory audit reports, repeated delays to competitions and administrative decisions taken without consulting member clubs.

They have also alleged unfair treatment and discriminatory practices.

Federation rejects request

The clubs argue that their petition should automatically trigger an extraordinary general assembly under Article 30 of the federation’s statutes because it was backed by more than two-thirds of its associate members.

According to the coalition, a court bailiff attempted to deliver the document to the federation’s headquarters, but the general secretary twice refused to acknowledge receipt.

The federation has not publicly recognised the request, further escalating tensions between the governing body and its member clubs.

Authorities and FIFA informed

The dispute has also drawn the attention of Djibouti’s Presidency, which is reportedly monitoring the situation as the crisis threatens to damage the country’s international image.

FIFA has also been informed of the latest developments.

Waberi, who has led the federation since 2012 and has been viewed as a close ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has previously faced criticism over governance issues, including allegations concerning the composition of the federation’s electoral commission.

The latest dispute now places the FDF under growing pressure as calls for accountability intensify.