US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1156

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 001156 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, DJ, PTER 
SUBJECT: DJBOUTIANS' REGIONAL TRAVEL 
 
1. (U) Summary. September marks the beginning of the school 
year in Djibouti and with it, the return of thousands of 
Djiboutians who have spent the last few months in cooler 
neighboring climes. While historically part of the pattern of 
life, expanded travel indicates growing middle class wealth. 
The negative aspect from a security perspective is that it 
also indicates how easy moving around has become. End summary 
 
2. (U) Historically Djiboutians who could afford it, traveled 
themselves and/or sent their families to cooler inland areas 
from June through August, Djibouti's hottest months. This 
predilection to get out of town was re-enforced by the French 
habit of taking leave in August, but rather than go to the 
sea, Djiboutians go to the hills. The Dire Dawa region of 
Ethiopia is a favored destination because it is cooler, many 
Djiboutians have roots and extended families there and khat 
is readily available. Since khat is part of the local 
lifestyle for thousands of Djiboutians, a vacation without 
access to their daily jolt would be unthinkable. Nazreth and 
Addis Ababa are also desired Ethiopian destinations. Hargeysa 
in nearby Somaliland also serves the same purpose. All of 
these destinations can be reached by road as well as air and 
a journey to Dire Dawa can even be accomplished by a rickety 
old train. In all these destinations, Djiboutian oriented 
hotels and activities exist. 
 
3 (U). Djibouti's daily paper the Nation reported that a 
destination of choice this summer was Yemen. Sales of air 
tickets were up three-fold. The highlands of Yemen were 
reported to be cheap, cool and with a nice ambiance - also 
khat. On the reciprocal side the paper observed that a good 
number of persons from the Djboutian diaspora in Europe and 
Canada returned home in August to visit. 
 
4. (U) The extent of such regional tourism re-enforces 
extended family links and underscores the interconnectivity 
of folks in this region. For example, this week an embassy 
FSN brought us an appeal from a relative who is a minister in 
the Hargeysa government regarding Somaliland's viability. 
Certainly this web of family and friendship, which unites 
people of Somali ethnicity, is widespread. 
 
5. (SBU) Although not reported in the paper, the GODj's 
ability to track comings and goings through the airport will 
be greatly enhanced by the installation of the U.S. provided 
Terrorist Interdiction Program system, which is now in final 
testing. However, the land and sea borders remain very porous 
and records, even of those who travel in conformance with 
regulations, are very skimpy.  Thus, increased mobility of 
the citizenry at large also improves the mobility and 
hideability of bad actors. 
GRIBBIN