US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI498

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000498 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E; 
STATE ALSO FOR INR/B; 
LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/23/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, DJ 
SUBJECT: GUELLEH'S SECOND TERM: CABINET CHANGES, BUT NOT 
TOO MUCH 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Stott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (U) Summary: With the start of President Ismail Omar 
Guelleh's second term comes the customary change in cabinet. 
As required by law, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita 
submitted his resignation Thursday, May 19th to President 
Guelleh. Saturday, May 21st, Guelleh issued a decree 
re-appointing Dileita as Prime Minister. As Prime Minister, 
it was Dileita's task to make any changes to the cabinet with 
the approval of the President. The new cabinet was announced 
Sunday, May 22nd in the afternoon via radio. President 
Guelleh's new cabinet consists of many of the same people 
with only five new Ministers. Of the five ministers removed, 
three received appointments as special advisors to the 
President. Most of the remaining Ministers were shuffled into 
different positions, while only five members of the cabinet, 
plus Dileita, kept their original position. End Summary. 
 
2. (C) Guelleh's new cabinet now consists of the following 
members: 
Prime Minister: Dileita Mohamed Dileita (Afar) - same position 
Minister of Labor: Houmed Mohamed Dini (Afar) - new member 
Minister of Education: Abdi Ibrahim Absieh (Issa, Wardiiq) - 
same position 
Minister of Justice: Mohamed Barkat Abdillahi (Gadaboursi) - 
Fmr. Labor 
Minister of Youth: Hassan Farah Miguil (Issa) - new member 
Minister of Health: Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil (Issa, Ourweyn) 
- Fmr. Environment 
Minister of Environment: Elmi Obsieh Waiss (Issa, Fourlaba) - 
Fmr. Transport 
Minister of Finance: Ali Farah Assoweh (Issa, Horone) - new 
member 
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (Afar) - 
Fmr. Int'l Cooperation 
Minister of Interior: Yacin Elmi Bouh (Issa, Mamassan) - Fmr. 
Finance 
Minister of Defense: Ougoureh Kifleh Ahmed (Afar) - same 
position 
Minister of Transport: Ismail Ibrahim Houmed (Afar) - Fmr. 
Justice 
Minister of Energy: Mohamed Ali Mohamed (Issa, Walaaldon) - 
same position 
Minister of Agriculture: Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed - new 
member 
Minister of Commerce: Rifki Abdoulkader Bamakrama (Arab, 
Yemeni) - Fmr. Communication 
Minister of Communication: Ali Abdi Farah (Issak, Haber Awal) 
- Fmr. Foreign Affairs 
Minister of Presidential Affairs: Osman Ahmed Moussa (Issa, 
Saad Moussa) - same position 
Minister Delegated to the Affairs of Women: Aicha Mohamed 
Robleh (Afar) - new member 
Minister Delegated to Int'l Cooperation: Hawa Ahmed Youssouf 
(Issa, Saad Moussa) - Fmr. Women's Affairs 
Minister Delegated to Wafks: Cheikh Mogueh Dirir Samatar 
(Issa, Saad Moussa) - same position 
 
3. (C) Former Ministers of Commerce, Health, and Interior all 
received appointments as special advisors to the President or 
other positions of equal importance. Saleban Omar Oudine 
(Fmr. Commerce Min.) is now Technical Counselor to the Prime 
Minister in charge of New Technology and Information. Mohamed 
Ali Kamil (Fmr. Health) is now Counselor to the President in 
charge of Food Security. Abdoulkader Doualeh Waiss (Fmr. 
Interior) is now the Mediator of the Republic. Former 
Ministers Dini Abdallah Bililis (Agriculture) and Otban Goita 
Moussa (Youth) are no longer part of the government. 
 
4. (C) The reasons behind the shifts and removals are still 
matters of speculation. Many believe the former Minister of 
Interior, Abdoulkader Doualeh Waiss, was seen as too 
talkative, free with his opinions and information, and not 
diplomatic with foreigners. Some suspect that Yacin Elmi 
Bouh's move from Finance to Interior, both important 
ministries, is to give the Mamassans (Guelleh's sub-clan) 
more control over security matters and possibly to groom him 
as the next president. This is a rumor that follows talk 
about a group within the Mamassan sub-clan that is dead-set 
on keeping control within the Mamassans. 
 
5. (C) The changes have also reportedly caused some anger 
within the ruling coalition, Union for Presidential Majority 
(UMP). One of the four parties making up UMP, the Social 
Democratic Party (PSD), led by Moumin Bahdon Farah, was 
allegedly promised ministerial seats, but received none. This 
has apparently caused anger within the party leadership. 
Farah was part of the government under Hassan Gouled Aptidon, 
serving 15 years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 2 
years as Minister of Justice. During his tenure as Justice 
Minister a disagreement with Aptidon put Farah in jail, at 
which point he turned opposition. He returned to the 
government's favor when Guelleh came to power. No rumors have 
indicated what PSD's next move might be. 
 
6. (C) Bio Data on new Ministers: 
-Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed: Minister of Agriculture, 
Livestock and the Ocean. Born 1951 in Souali, District of 
Obock (Afar ethnicity). Holds a Science and Technology degree 
from the Water Institute at the University of Limoges 
specializing in water treatment and purification (1977-1979). 
Served as Director of the National Water Office (ONED) since 
its creation in 1983. Served as Interim Director of Water 
Management prior to the creation of ONED. Married to 
Guelleh's niece. 
 
-Houmed Mohamed Dini: Minister of Labor and Solidarity. Born 
in 1953 in Mabla, District of Obock (Afar). Nephew of Ahmed 
Dini Ahmed, late head of the opposition coalition and 
president of the opposition party, Republican Alliance for 
Development (ARD). Holds a certificate of capacity to study 
law from the University of Sceaux, France. Completed two 
years of law school at Paris-Tolbiac. Served as Inspector of 
Indirect Contributions in 1982. 
 
-Aicha Mohamed Robleh: Minister Delegated under the Prime 
Minister, Charged with the Promotion of Women, Family 
Well-Being and Social Affairs. Born 18 September 1965 in 
Weina, District of Tadjourah (Afar). Graduated from 
University of Cameroon with a degree in Labor Law. Head of 
the Commercial Service of Prisunic. Judicial Affairs 
Assistant to the Labor Minister from 1991-1997. Worked with 
UN Development Program on the National Rehabilitation project 
from October 1997 to January 2001. Member of Parliament since 
2003. 
 
-Ali Farah Assoweh: Minister of the Economy, Finances, and 
Planning, Charged with Privatization. Born 03 July, 1965 in 
Djibouti (Issa, Horone). Holds a Bachelor in Economics and a 
Master in Economic and Political Management. Head of the 
Studies and Evaluation Office in the Ministry of Education 
from 1992-1994. Head of Financial Services in the Ministry of 
Education from 1994-1999. Assistant Director of Budget 
Development in the Ministry of Finance from 2000-2001. 
Director of Budgetary Controls in the Ministry of Finance 
from 2001-2004. Secretary General of the Ministry of the 
Presidency from April 2004-May 2005. 
 
-Hassan Farah Miguil: Minister of Youth, Sports, Leisure and 
Tourism. Former Mediator of the Republic. No further bio data 
available. 
RAGSDALE