Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy

The Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (Front pour la Restauration de l'Unité et de la Démocratie, الجبهة من أجل استعادة الوحدة والديمقراطية) is a political party in Djibouti. It is aligned with the interests of the Afar people who live in that country, although it has supporters residing outside of Djibouti. Three Afar groups—Action for the Revision of Order in Djibouti, the Front for the Restoration of Right and Equality, and the Djibouti Patriotic Resistance Front—merged in 1991 to form FRUD. In late 1991, FRUD launched a rebellion against the Issa-dominated government. Nearly 1,000 people died during the conflict until 1994. In that year, the party split into two factions: a moderate wing, led by Ali Mohamed Daoud, signed a peace agreement with the government on 26 December 1994 in Aba'a, while other wing, led by Ahmed Dini Ahmed, denounced this agreement and continued armed resistance. The radicals held a congress in northern Djibouti for six days in late September 1994, and announced on 30 September 1994 that the congress delegates "unanimously reaffirmed their determination to pursue armed struggle until their political goals are satisfied," while electing Dini at the head of the faction's executive committee. After the party's split, the FRUD-C (Front pour la restauration de l’unité et de la démocratie – Combattant, or Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy – Combatant; alternatively called "FRUD Ahmed Dini faction", "FRUD-Radicals", "FRUD-Armé" or "Armed FRUD") was organized by those FRUD members determined to keep fighting. They continued an insurgency against the government of Djibouti with the support of Eritrea with arms and probably logistics in an effort to cut the supply routes from Djibouti to landlocked Ethiopia during the Eritrean–Ethiopian War. Up to 2014, the insurgency caused 100 deaths. Since then, there have only been few attacks. In January 2021, FRUD-C killed a policeman. On 7 October 2022, FRUD-C attacked a military barracks in Garabtisan, killing seven soldiers, wounding four.