Attempts to remove Djibouti Football Federation president Souleiman Waberi reached a dramatic climax on Monday after police occupied the federation’s headquarters and a group of club presidents held an extraordinary general assembly.
The FDF said police first entered its national technical centre on Sunday evening without presenting an administrative document or court order. A larger contingent returned on Monday and ordered Waberi, executive committee members and federation staff to leave.
According to the FDF, 16 club presidents then entered the building under police escort and held what it described as a “purported” extraordinary general assembly.
The federation rejected the meeting as illegitimate, saying it had not been properly convened and that required notice periods and procedures had not been followed.
However, sources in Djibouti said the required number of delegates was present. They reportedly voted unanimously to remove Waberi and his executive committee before establishing an interim committee to oversee the federation.
The confrontation follows weeks of opposition to Waberi, who is a member of both the Confederation of African Football executive committee and Fifa Council and has led the federation since 2012.
In September, a coalition of 27 clubs said it had secured the two-thirds majority required to seek the removal of the executive committee.
The FDF disputed that calculation, saying it has 67 members and that 45 would be required to trigger an extraordinary assembly.
#DJIBOUTI
Ce matin, une cérémonie organisée en soutien au président de la Fédération Djiboutienne de Football, Souleiman Hassan Waberi, a été marquée par des tensions et débordements.Les images relayées sur les réseaux sociaux montrent des altercations en marge du rassemblement, dans un contexte de fortes tensions autour de la gouvernance de la FDF.
#Djibouti #FDF #football #SouleimanHassanWaberi #FIFA
— Afar Times (@TheAfartimes) October 3, 2026
The dispute escalated after more clubs and delegates joined the campaign, prompting the government’s secretary of state for sport, Fatouma Ali Abdallah, to order the FDF to convene an extraordinary general assembly within 72 hours.
The FDF has appealed to Fifa and Caf, warning that the involvement of state security forces could amount to government interference in the affairs of a national football association.
It said such interference could lead to sanctions including suspension, exclusion of Djiboutian clubs and national teams from international competitions, and a freeze on development funding.
The developments also come as Waberi and other officials could face charges following a police investigation into suspected embezzlement and money laundering.
They were arrested in September 2024 after a government inspection identified financial and administrative irregularities, including concerns over procurement, cash management and financial controls.
Waberi has denied wrongdoing and previously said Fifa’s monitoring mechanisms had found no indication of wrongdoing involving funds it had provided to the federation.
