US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI298

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DJIBOUTI 000298 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/E, E, EB, INR/B 
STATE PASS USAID 
PARIS FOR NEARY 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2014 
TAGS: PREL, ECON, EAID, PHUM, PGOV, PINR, DJ, FR 
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF PRESIDENTIAL AFFAIRS AND DJIBOUTI'S 
AGENDA 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale. 
 Reasons 1.5 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary:  The close relationship of Minister of 
Presidential Affairs, Osman Ahmed Moussa, with President 
Ismail Omar Guelleh afforded Ambassador the opportunity to 
reaffirm her mandate in Djibouti as U.S. Ambassador and to 
solicit the Minister's views on ways to enhance the U.S.- 
Djibouti partnership. During a two-hour meeting which began 
as a courtesy call associated with the Ambassador's 
credentialling, the Minister raised attentiveness of donors, 
new partnerships in the  Gulf, diversity of aid, overcoming 
trade problems and infrastructure weaknesses, humanitarian 
and health challenges, human rights and the military 
relationship as Djibouti's premier concerns. End summary. 
 
2. (C)  Minister of Presidential Affairs, Osman Ahmed 
Moussa-- who is close to Djibouti's President Ismail Omar 
Guelleh-- told Ambassador February 29 during a two-hour 
meeting at the Presidential Office, that Djibouti should not 
be seen merely as a conflict resolution partner for the U.S. 
in the Horn of Africa region but as a partner in economic 
development as well.  The presence of USAID at the U.S. 
Mission, he said, is an encouraging sign. 
 
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Need for Aid Coordination 
------------------------- 
 
3. (C) Moussa said donors needed to be more attentive to the 
needs of Djibouti and to diversify assistance areas. Some 
sectors receive an abundance of aid while others lack 
resources totally, he lamented, and options for development 
are not being fully explored.  For example, date palms could 
provide food and jobs in rural areas.  Their growth would 
combine agriculture and pastoralism and would work well in 
the South which has the necessary ground water.  Also, water 
resources in an area are closely linked to good health, but 
the development of water resources lacks funding.  Moussa 
asked that the U.S. take the first steps in exploring these 
areas and in raising awareness of other donors.  Donors 
should also look closely at aid delivery, noting, for 
example, that Djibouti bought mobile clinics to serve in its 
districts but poor roads made them ineffective. 
 
4. (C) Ambassador responded that she was already exploring 
the concept of establishing an informal working group in 
Djibouti of donors, NGOs, UN organizations, and USAID which 
would meet regularly --perhaps monthly-- to review and 
coordinate development programs in-country.  This might 
diminish duplication of development efforts and identify 
other areas where development aid might best benefit 
Djibouti.  She said she had not yet broached the idea with 
donors and donor entities here but would do so soon. 
 
5. (C) Moussa said he believed this a good idea.  He noted 
that 22,000 Somali refugees at Ali-Adde were using a large 
portion of the resources of UN agencies.  Djibouti's program 
of repatriation of refugees to Somaliland is aimed at freeing 
up these resources for Djibouti's use. He said the fact, 
though, that U.N. representatives are African makes easier 
their understanding of the challenges facing the Government 
of Djibouti despite the internal constraints and restrictions 
that prevent those agencies from fully supporting Djibouti. 
 
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Hope in a Free Zone 
----------------------- 
 
6. (C) Moussa suggested that development of a Free Zone in 
Djibouti would reduce the serious problem of unemployment. 
While investors have shown interest, there is little activity 
to date.  Moussa expressed uncertainty as to why investment 
is not happening but suggested the problem might lie in 
Djibouti's failure to communicate adequately with investors. 
He asked for U.S. assistance and advice, which Ambassador 
pledged to provide. 
 
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Looking Gulfward 
---------------------- 
 
7. (C) Ambassador asked if Djibouti saw opportunities for 
development avenues in its relationships with the Gulf states 
and Yemen.  Moussa cited Yemen and said Djibouti would like 
to partner with Yemen in the tourist trade, perhaps 
attracting a share of the more than one million tourists 
annually that Yemen receives.  Djibouti could be an 
additional destination because of its close proximity. Good 
tourist sites exist in the Gulf of Tadjoura but measures 
would need to be taken, he cautioned, to ensure the 
environmental integrity of Djibouti's coral reefs.  In 
addition, Moussa said, Djibouti is discussing with Yemen 
prospects for Djibouti's port becoming a regional 
distribution point for Yemeni oil. 
 
8. (C) Ambassador asked about a present or potential role for 
Yemeni businessmen generally in the development of Djibouti's 
economy.  Moussa opined that Yemeni businessmen, while active 
in Djibouti, do not participate in the local economy, 
preferring to remain simple retailers who take their money 
out.  In the past, he said, Yemenis were some of the most 
important importers in Djibouti.  (Note: Ambassador wants to 
explore this issue further with her interlocutors in 
Djibouti. End note.) 
 
9. (C) Moussa said trade with the Gulf countries, and 
specifically the UAE (Dubai), is increasing since the medium 
of exchange between the two is the dollar. He remarked that 
Dubai is crowded as buyers come from all over Africa and the 
Middle East.  Djibouti is hopeful, he indicated, that there 
will be businesses in Dubai wishing to re-locate to 
Djibouti's free zone in order to serve African customers and 
gain market proximity.  (Comment: The Dubai Port Authority 
manages Djibouti's port and airport. End comment.) 
 
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Whither the French 
--------------------------- 
 
10.  On relations with France today, Moussa described them as 
affected by a French "attitude of neglect." "The fact that 
whole Mirage engines have been stolen from French bases shows 
the extent of neglect," he said.  French cooperation at the 
Presidency level, Moussa continued, does not exist because 
the Government of Djibouti does not want the French involved 
at centers of decisionmaking.  However, the French are 
present as technical advisers in various ministries. 
France's relationship with the Government of Djibouti has 
continually diminished to the point, he stated, "that they 
feel completely isolated and lost."   Moussa said he believes 
France never had a vision of Djibouti as a commercial 
platform by which it could penetrate the African market. With 
France now, he said, trade is becoming more difficult because 
of the high value of the Euro. 
 
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U.S. Military and Assistance 
---------------------------- 
 
11. (C) Moussa noted in passing that the U.S. military has 
assisted Djibouti in commercial ways.  He said its provision 
of night vision capability had been especially useful in his 
country's efforts to stop the entry of contraband -- human or 
material -- across Djibouti's borders. 
 
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The Sticky Problem of Human Rights 
---------------------------------- 
 
12. (C) Moussa commented that the only problem Djibouti 
appeared to have with the U.S. is the negative yearly Human 
Rights report, which he said "does not reflect reality." 
Ambassador responded that Djibouti does have a poor record in 
this area and that there is room for improvement. 
 
13. (C) Moussa counseled that the USG should be cautious and 
should watch out for "manipulation" and "misinformation" in 
the human rights field that could come from both the 
Government of Djibouti's staff and from the opposition.  The 
U.S. should be especially vigilant, he said, as allegations 
fly in the period leading up to (presidential) elections. 
 
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Comment 
----------- 
 
14. (C)  The precedent for this conversation was set during 
the Ambassador's presentation of credentials to President 
Guelleh. She will follow through on plans to establish a 
working group of donors and others to look at economic 
assistance here.  She also has informally canvassed her 
Ambassadorial colleagues --on whom she has called-- about 
their countries' aid programs/plans for Djibouti. Egypt's 
ambassador had earlier raised the possibility of date 
farming, including Egypt's potential to contribute, among 
other issues.  A coordination on aid would prove useful on 
several fronts, including as we begin to focus on other 
issues, such as corruption. Of course, individual constraints 
on donors and aid agencies will remain an important factor. 
End comment. 
 
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Bio-Data 
---------- 
 
15. (C) Osman Ahmed Moussa is in his early forties.  His 
wife, Christiane, is a physician who is of Benin origin. They 
have no children.  Moussa has two brothers and two sisters. 
One brother, Abubaker Ahmed Moussa, is the number two person 
in Djibouti's National Security Service.  Moussa's late 
father was one of the first nurses in Djibouti.  Moussa, 
affectionately called "Tatti," has a very pleasant nature. 
He speaks French, Arabic, and very limited English. He is 
from the Saad Mussa Issa clan and replaced in his current 
position former Cabinet Director, Ismail Guedi, from the same 
clan.  End bio-data. 
 
 
RAGSDALE