US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1289

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001289 
 
SIPDIS 
 
CENTCOM FOR POLAD HOLZMAN; STATE FOR AF AND AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2014 
TAGS: OVIP, PGOV, PREL, DJ, SO 
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ON RECENT U.S. AND 
CUBA VISITS 
 
REF: STATE 213112 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale. 
For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) In a meeting October 6 with Minister of Foreign 
Affairs, Ali Abdi Farah, Ambassador asked for the Minister's 
impression of his and President Guelleh's recent trip to the 
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which also included 
stops in Washington and Cuba.  Farah spoke in general terms 
about the activities at UNGA and about President Guelleh's 
speech, a matter of public record. Ambassador commented that 
she thought it had been a comprehensive speech. Farah also 
gave an account of Guelleh's meeting with Department of State 
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Newman which 
dovetailed reftel. Farah added that the President had 
exchanged views with Under Secretary for Political Affairs 
Marc Grossman, who had commended him for Djibouti's role in 
the struggle against terrorism. (Note: Embassy Djibouti has 
not received a report of this exchange. End Note.) 
 
2. (C) Farah stated that in Washington, Guelleh met with 
Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, Senator John Warner of 
Virginia and Senator Carl Levin of Michigan.  Farah was not 
able to give substantive details of the meetings, but offered 
the view that they had gone very well and that the 
Congressmen were very well versed on Djibouti and had 
discussed economic assistance, military cooperation, and 
cooperation in the global war against terrorism. He remarked 
that "one Congressman" had mentioned a point about the 
U.S.-Djibouti military agreement and that President Guelleh 
had queried what exactly the Congressman meant to say. "All 
in all," he said, "the meetings went well." 
 
3. (C) On Guelleh's visit to Cuba, Farah told Ambassador that 
the purpose was mainly focused on establishing an exchange of 
doctors and possible medical training.  He said there is 
great difficulty in finding medical schools that will accept 
Djiboutian students due to a lack of places available. 
However, Cuba has places and three years ago gave twenty 
spots to Djiboutians.  Farah said the hope for these 
negotiations was to expand that number to forty, as well as 
negotiate a number of trained specialists to work in 
Djibouti.  Currently there are five medical specialists from 
Cuba working in Djibouti.  He commented that the Cuban 
doctors are not expensive and are very competent. The 
Government of Djibouti pays these doctors a small stipend and 
provides housing at their assigned locations in the outer 
districts. 
 
4. (C) Farah mentioned that he would depart tomorrow for 
Nairobi to attend the Somalia conference where the 
transitional parliament will elect a new President of 
Somalia.  A very large number had now been narrowed, 
according to Farah, to 28 - down from 70.  Responding to 
Ambassador's inquiry, Farah said he was optimistic on the 
issue of Somalia because for the first time every faction is 
represented and everyone is participating.  When asked what 
the future of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland 
would be, Farah said, "we'll have to see."  Farah said 
Somaliland has been functioning well for nearly 15 years, but 
relations with Somalia cannot be predicted until the new 
president is chosen.  The identity and personality of the 
president will determine Somalia's course of action with 
Somaliland.  Farah commented, "we will discuss it." 
RAGSDALE