US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI200

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000200 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/E; LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/28/2015 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PBTS, DJ, FR 
SUBJECT: ACTING FOREIGN MINISTER ON FRANCO-DJIBOUTIAN 
RELATIONS AND BORREL AFFAIR 
 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale. 
For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Ambassador met with Acting Foreign Minister, 
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, at her request February 23 to discuss 
several issues, among them the effect of the Borrel Affair on 
France-Djibouti relations. Youssouf called the affair 
embarrassing for both sides. He said it is not Djibouti's 
desire to see the situation escalate, but it is now a matter 
of principle as France's government could do much more than 
it currently is doing to tamp down tensions. Youssouf said 
the French judges need to either prove the allegations raised 
or close the case. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Youssouf described the Borrel case as a completely 
French issue. He continued that from the beginning of the 
affair everything had involved French authorities. The 
discovery of Borrel's body was by French military, the 
autopsy by French doctors, the judicial inquiry by French 
judges and the conclusion of suicide by French courts. 
Youssouf said it was only after two persons then in Brussels 
came forward with overheard conversations allegedly 
implicating Djiboutian authorities that Borrel's widow 
started to say that there were confidential files at French 
intelligence confirming the same. 
 
3. (C) Youssouf said the Government of Djibouti requested in 
August 2003 that the supposed intelligence files be 
declassified. The French authorities did and nothing in the 
documents pointed to Djiboutian authorities being involved in 
the death of Judge Borrel. Youssouf said it was afterwards 
that the judges' syndicate in France started putting pressure 
on the government to take a different stance. According to 
Youssouf, the French government had been taken hostage by the 
French judiciary. Because the file cannot be closed, it has 
become a political issue for both countries. He added his 
belief that if the courts had evidence implicating Djiboutian 
authorities, it would have already brought that evidence 
forward. 
 
4. (C) Regarding the reasons behind the Government of 
Djibouti's recent expulsions of six French Cooperation 
employees, Youssouf explained that Djibouti does not think 
the French government is complicit in widow Borrel's 
pressure, but it is also not doing anything to prevent 
damaging slander against Djibouti and Djibouti's President. 
He continued that Radio France International (RFI) is French 
government owned and as such, can be controlled by France. 
Yet it had continued to broadcast slanderous statements on 
purpose. He said Djibouti had told the French to stop, but 
they didn't. Youssouf also said Djibouti objected to the 
summons of Djiboutian officials to appear in a French court 
to testify in the Borrel case. He added that when Djibouti 
had protested that the two accusers who had made false 
accusations against the President of Djibouti were only doing 
so in order to keep refugee status and asked that they be 
tried in France, the French refused to cooperate. Youssouf 
said Djibouti's response to the request of the French courts 
is "if we help you, you have to help us." He said Djibouti 
has to deal with its accusers through the French and cannot 
accept the excuse that separation of powers prevents France 
from stopping harassment. 
 
5. (C) Youssouf said Djibouti's position is that since the 
entire investigative process in the Borrel affair had been 
handled by the French, why implicate Djibouti now? He added 
that rumors indicated that Borrel worked for French 
intelligence and that the declassified documents indicated 
Borrel was dirty. Youssouf said the Borrel affair is a 100 
percent French problem, but it happened in Djibouti. Youssouf 
noted that Djibouti has hundreds of French assistants in the 
various ministries with access to sensitive information. Why 
would Djibouti kill one assistant and allow the others to 
live? 
 
6. (C) Regarding rumors that more French workers might be 
asked to leave, Youssouf stated pointedly that "it depended 
on the developments in the affair." He said if the French 
government takes its responsibility, Djibouti will not be 
forced to act against it. He continued that Djibouti is 
asking France to put forward additional information, if any, 
or close the file. Youssouf commented that the French 
Ambassador to Djibouti was very clear that France is as much 
embarrassed as Djibouti, but it was not in a position to 
pressure the judicial system. Youssouf said that he responded 
that France needed to pressure the media, not the judiciary. 
In Youssouf's view, the case should be closed since ten years 
had passed since Borrel's death and there is no proof of 
murder. In order to keep the case open, he said, murder must 
be proved, a motive for murder found, and the perpetrator 
determined. Youssouf repeated "it is not in our interest to 
escalate the issue, but it is a matter of principle - prove 
it or close it." 
RAGSDALE