Can a federation survive when police lock its doors? On Monday, officers seized the Djibouti FA headquarters, halting an extraordinary assembly called by club presidents to oust council member Souleiman Waberi.
The federation says police first entered its national technical centre at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday without any warrant. The next day a larger force ordered Waberi, executive members, staff and others to vacate the building.
Weeks of mounting dissent against Waberi—who sits on both CAF’s executive committee and FIFA’s council and backs Gianni Infantino—culminated in early September when 27 clubs announced a vote to dismiss the executive committee, claiming they had secured the two‑thirds majority required by the statutes.
FDF counters that its membership totals 67, meaning 45 clubs, not 27, are needed to trigger an extraordinary assembly. As more clubs and delegates joined the campaign, the sports secretary Fatouma Ali Abdallah ordered the federation to convene a special meeting within 72 hours.
For my money, the looming charges signal a deeper governance crisis. Authorities believe Waberi and several officials may face indictment this week after a police probe into alleged embezzlement and money laundering concluded. They were detained in September 2024 following a government audit that uncovered procurement flaws, cash‑handling gaps and unpaid taxes, as well as nearly £500,000 in questionable cash payments. The investigation has now moved to the courts.
Waberi rejects the allegations, recalling that in August he cited FIFA’s monitoring system, which, he says, found no evidence of misuse regarding the disputed funds.
FIFA and CAF together pour more than $1 million (£760,000) annually into Djibouti’s football through a development programme that has funded the Douda academy and artificial‑pitch projects in Arta and Dikhil. Yet several tenders are now under scrutiny for bypassing standard procedures.
Foreign workers lacking proper visas were deported, halting construction. Contractors and CAF staff describe the projects as a complete farce, saying funds vanished and facilities remain unfinished. The situation leaves young players without proper fields. Will Djibouti ever rebuild its football infrastructure on a transparent footing?