US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI927

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000927 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR PM (BBODINE); L(MCOFFEE) AND T (PMCNERNEY) 
STATE ALSO FOR AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, DJ, KICC 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI AND REDOUBLING ARTICLE 98 EFFORTS IN 
LIGHT OF NON-RENEWAL OF UNSCR 1487 
 
REF: SECSTATE 145167 
 
 1. (U) In a meeting on other matters with Mahmoud Ali 
Youssef, Minister of Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, Ambassador presented points in reftel.  She again 
thanked Mahmoud for Djibouti having concluded an Article 98 
agreement with the U.S. and said her points were aimed at 
emphasizing the continuing high priority for the U.S. of 
Article 98 agreements. The decision not to pursue UNSC 1487 
renewal was based on a U.S. desire to avoid a prolonged and 
divisive debate of the issue. 
 
2. (U) Youssef said he fully understood the reasons the U.S. 
had decided not to pursue renewal of UNSCR 1487.  He said his 
Government had surmised that the political climate was simply 
not favorable and the timing was not good to press forward 
successfully on renewal.  The Government of Djibouti, he told 
Ambassador, had not considered the action as reflective of a 
change in U.S. policy toward the International Criminal 
Court. 
RAGSDALE