The French authorities believe Mr Borrel may have been murdered

Paris, August 28, 2007 – A French magistrate has ordered the trial of two senior Djibouti officials in connection with the death 12 years ago of a French judge, Bernard Borrel.

Arrest warrants for the two men, public prosecutor Djama Souleiman Ali and the Secret Service chief, Hassan Said Khaireh, were issued last year.

Mr Borrel's burned corpse was found in 1995 in Djibouti and local authorities initially said he committed suicide.

But his widow says he was murdered on the orders of high-ranking officials.

At the time of his death, Mr Borrel was acting as a consultant to the Djibouti justice ministry.

Strained relations

The two officials are accused of "intimidation of a witness" and have been ordered to appear in court in Versailles.

The pair's lawyer said they would not appear in court, so the trial will take place without them.

Mr Borrel's widow, Elisabeth, welcomed the summons. "After all, these are not small bureaucrats - these are senior figures of the Djibouti state. It is they who exercised pressure on the primary witnesses in this case," she said on i-Tele television.

"Things are advancing, as we get closer and closer to the person behind the assassination," she said.

The French investigation has strained relations between the two countries in recent years.

Djibouti has refused to cooperate with the French courts, and three years ago suspended all judicial links with France.

Former French President Jacques Chirac always refused to become involved in the affair, but in June President Sarkozy met Mr Borrel's widow.

Djibouti is home to France's largest military base in Africa.

Source: BBC