US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI1621

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR ISA AFRICA DAS THERESA WHELAN; 
STATE FOR AF/DAS DON YAMAMOTO 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/27/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, MASS, MARR, MOPS, DJ 
SUBJECT: GUELLEH REQUESTS ON-SITE SURVEY OF PROPOSED CAMP 
LEMONIER EXPANSION AREA 
 
REF: A. DJIBOUTI 1542 
 
     B. DJIBOUTI 1498 
     C. DJIBOUTI 934 
     D. DJIBOUTI 903 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita Ragsdale. 
For reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: On December 27, the Ambassador and CJTF-HOA 
Commanding General Samuel Helland met with the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs Ali Abdi Farah, at the Minister's request, to 
discuss the proposed expansion of Camp Lemonier. The Minister 
said that Djiboutian President Ismail Omar Guelleh told him 
to convey a message that the Government of Djibouti (GODj) 
does not object in principle to the expansion of Camp 
Lemonier as part of lease negotiations, but that the GODj 
requires that technicians from the Department of Defense meet 
technicians from the GODj in/in Djibouti to do a physical 
survey of the proposed expansion area to avoid confusion over 
the proposed terrain's perimeter. The Minister also used the 
opportunity to thank CJTF-HOA for its involvement in civil 
affairs projects and to request three specific projects for 
the town of Arta. END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (C) The Ambassador and CJTF-HOA Commanding General Samuel 
Helland met December 27 with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali 
Abdi Farah, at the Minister's request, to discuss the 
proposed expansion of the territory of Camp Lemonier. No 
advance information on the purpose of the meeting had been 
provided. They were joined by the acting Pol/Econ officer 
(Embassy notetaker) and the Director of Bilateral Relations, 
Mohamed Ali Hassan (GODj notetaker and translator). The 
Minister began by stating that he had personally invited the 
Djiboutian Minister of Defense to join in the meeting, but 
that he was unable to participate due to another pressing 
matter. 
 
3. (C) The Minister continued that President Ismail Omar 
Guelleh specifically requested he convey a message that the 
GODj does not object in principle to the proposed expansion 
of Camp Lemonier, but that it is necessary that technicians 
from the U.S. Department of Defense meet technicians from the 
GODj on the ground in Djibouti to physically walk over the 
land proposed for the expansion. The Minister said the 
diagram submitted for the proposed expansion is not enough 
and that a physical survey is necessary and appropriate for 
transparency and to avoid misunderstandings over what 
constitutes the specific plot of land. He said that it does 
not matter to the GODj whether the technicians come from 
Washington or if the survey is done by American soldiers 
already stationed in Djibouti or by appropriate individuals 
from the Embassy. 
 
4. (C) The Minister stressed that the technicians must "see 
and agree" on the proposed plot of land before the GODj will 
approve the expansion. He termed it "a question of 
confidence." He said the land is public property and that the 
GODj wanted to avoid the type of misunderstanding that 
happened during previous lease negotiations for Camp Lemonier 
concerning the Presidential hangar and its surrounding area. 
 
5. (C) The Ambassador inquired whether Djibouti's principal 
negotiator for lease discussions, Ambassador Olhaye in 
Washington, is aware of this request. The Minister responded 
that this is a matter that must be taken care of here in 
Djibouti and that Ambassador Olhaye is not in charge of the 
"technical side" of the negotiations because he cannot 
physically survey the land. This should be done in 
Djibouti.(COMMENT: The Minister never directly said whether 
or not Olhaye is aware of this request. END COMMENT) The 
Minister also stated that the President believes such a move 
is "more transparent" and "more appropriate," so that 
Djibouti's army can understand the American military 
requirements and "have confidence." 
 
6. (C) The Ambassador told the Minister she will convey the 
request to Washington, but the decision must be made there, 
as neither the Embassy nor CJTF-HOA are involved in the 
negotiations. General Helland concurred, and the Minister 
said he understood. 
 
7. (C) General Helland stressed to the Minister that there 
can be only one contact person for the survey, and that the 
Department of Defense currently considers Ambassador Olhaye 
to be the contact person for negotiations. The Minister said 
he will ask the President who should be considered the 
primary point of contact in Djibouti for the technical survey 
and will pass the information to the Ambassador by the 
afternoon of December 27 or the morning of December 28. 
 
8. (C) The Minister expressed President Guelleh's 
appreciation for the work the American military is doing in 
Djibouti, especially in its primary task: the struggle 
against terrorism. The Minister said that the GODj considers 
this struggle an important stability factor in the Horn of 
Africa. He said the civil affairs work being done in the 
districts is a good initiative and is greatly appreciated by 
the Djiboutian population. He called the school and hospital 
rehabilitations "fruitful" adding that they "bring together 
the American military and the Djiboutian people." 
 
9. (C) In addition, the Minister said that during the recent 
Cabinet meeting led by the President in the town of Arta, the 
people complained about occasional noise from a nearby 
joint-use, French-American military training site; however, 
he said that overall the people of Arta were appreciative of 
the American civil affairs efforts in the town and are more 
comfortable with the American military presence following 
these projects. The Minister said he wanted to seize the 
opportunity posed by the General's presence to request three 
specific projects for Arta: a small incinerator similar to 
the one installed at Doudah; a small ambulance; and a fence 
around a primary school in the town. 
 
10. (C) The General told the Minister it is a honor and 
pleasure to be a guest in Djibouti and praised the work of 
Generals Fathi and Zacharia as interlocutors with CJTF-HOA. 
The said he looks forward to continuing to work with the GODj. 
 
11. (C) The Ambassador expressed her appreciation for 
CJTF-HOA's help to the Embassy and to Djibouti, and told the 
Minister that she hopes that base negotiations will be 
quickly and satisfactorily concluded. 
 
12. (C) COMMENT: The request by President Guelleh, through 
his Minister of Foreign Affairs, for a technical survey 
reflects, in Post's view, the Djiboutian military's lack of 
confidence in the capacity of Ambassador Olhaye to represent 
fully their interests in the current round of base 
negotiations. While it is a problem in need of an internal 
fix, it has reverberations for the U.S. The Djiboutian 
military does not want "misunderstandings" of lease and base 
details. There is an inexact understanding of the specifics 
of the volume of land the U.S. is requesting -- maps, 
diagrams and coordinates notwithstanding. The GODj wants the 
land "walked off" (in simple terms), so that there is clarity 
about what areas the Department of Defense envisions a future 
Camp Lemonier encompassing. END COMMENT. 
RAGSDALE