US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI708

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000708 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/25/2015 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, PREL, DJ 
SUBJECT: TIP ACTION PLAN: DJIBOUTI'S INITIAL RESPONSE 
 
REF: SECSTATE 136521 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale for reasons 1.4 (b) an 
d (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Ambassador and Pol/Econ presented the 
demarche and proposed action plan 25 July to the Minister of 
Foreign Affairs, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and Director of 
Bilateral Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as 
requested in reftel. Youssouf was defensive about the 
statement that Djibouti is not making sufficient efforts to 
combat trafficking. He presented Ambassador with much of the 
same information that has been included in Post's reports on 
trafficking in persons, with some additional points. Youssouf 
commented the Government currently has a public awareness 
campaign led by a prominent religious leader, Sheik 
Abdourahman Bashir, on TV and radio to dissuade Djiboutian 
women from prostitution for moral and health reasons. He also 
mentioned the fact that Djibouti has a very politically 
sensitive agreement with Ethiopia that provides for entry for 
Djiboutians into Ethiopia without visas, but requires visas 
for Ethiopians to visit Djibouti. He said this is one way 
that Djibouti tries to keep trafficking out of Djibouti. End 
Summary. 
 
2. (C) In a meeting 25 July with Minister of Foreign Affairs, 
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and Director of Bilateral Relations at 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Ali Hassan, 
Ambassador discussed trafficking in persons and the proposed 
action plan for Djibouti. Ambassador explained that the 
Trafficking in Persons report for 2004-2005 was released in 
June and listed Djibouti as a Special Case. She continued 
that Djibouti was listed as such due to a lack of 
documentation to prove trafficking existed in Djibouti, but 
there was a strong suspicion that it was a problem. 
Ambassador explained the report is a tool to evaluate not 
whether a country has trafficking problems, but the efforts 
its government makes to prevent and prosecute trafficking. 
She explained the three tier rankings given to countries in 
the report and that Djibouti could in the next review be 
listed as a Tier 3 Country, if it did not move to comply with 
the standards of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act 
(TVPA). She stated that if evidence is found to document 
trafficking cases, and Djibouti was placed on the Tier 3 
list, it would make Djibouti ineligible for U.S. assistance 
that was not humanitarian in nature. 
 
3. (C) Youssouf responded that prostitution begins because 
there is poverty. He agreed that it existed in Djibouti that 
could not be denied, noting his own experience witnessing 
such activity on a street near his residence during a 
pre-dawn morning. Youssouf held the position that Djibouti is 
making a good deal of effort to combat the issues in the 
report. He also noted that Djibouti is willing to provide all 
the documents to prove that Djibouti has these laws and has 
adhered to the international conventions relating to these 
issues. Specifically, he mentioned that Djibouti has laws 
forbidding prostitution and pimping, and a vice-squad - the 
Brigade des Meurs - to stop prostitutes from working. The 
government was working to prevent prostitution for health 
reasons, and caring for prostitutes with HIV/AIDS. He also 
stated the Ministry of Interior does not deliver residence 
permits to women working as prostitutes. In addition, 
residence permits are not given to children under the age of 
18 unless sponsored by a business or family member with a 
justifiable reason for their visit. Youssouf continued saying 
that Djibouti has a very politically tenuous stand concerning 
documentation for entry of certain nationals into Djibouti. 
With respect to Ethiopia and Egypt, Djiboutians can enter 
both countries without a visa, but Ethiopians and Egyptians 
must have a visa to enter Djibouti. These are two nations 
most likely to be problematic for Djibouti in the transit 
area, according to Youssouf. He said this is one way that 
Djibouti is working against trafficking. He added that many 
of the prostitutes are Ethiopian who come for jobs. Since 
poverty causes them to prostitute themselves, it is very 
difficult to prevent prostitution. 
 
4. (C) Youssouf also mentioned that Djibouti has an awareness 
campaign on television and radio led by Islamic Sheik 
Abdourahman Bashir to dissuade young Djiboutians from 
prostituting themselves in hopes of marrying a foreign 
soldier in order to leave Djibouti. He said that this 
campaign works against prostitution for moral and health 
reasons. Youssouf continued that Djibouti also was working to 
stop the large number of small boats that smuggle Ethiopians, 
Somalians, and sometimes Djiboutians to Yemen. He said 
Djibouti has been strengthening its efforts in this area with 
the help of the French military as part of its efforts to 
counter terrorism, but also to stop trafficking. He felt 
these actions were a good effort against trafficking. 
 
5. (C) Ambassador expressed appreciation for the efforts 
Djibouti is undertaking to combat trafficking. The U.S. had 
some additional recommendations concerning actions Djibouti 
might take in this effort. She went over each of the 
recommended measures provided in Reftel and passed to the 
Minister a non-paper of the points in French and in English, 
as well as a copy of the TVPA. 
 
6. (C) Hassan observed there appeared to be a difference in 
meanings of the English term "trafficking" and the French 
term "trafic." He felt that this difference was key, because 
the type of exploitation meant by the English term did not 
appear to be present in Djibouti. Pol/Econ attempted to 
explain the different aspects included in the definition of 
trafficking used by the TIP report and how these presented 
concerns for Djibouti's situation. She stated that while 
prostitution was not in and of itself "trafficking," if a 
woman was forced into prostitution, entered into the trade 
willing but was prevented from leaving the trade by a pimp or 
a brothel owner, or was held in country against her will that 
would constitute trafficking. Also, cases of child 
prostitutes were automatically considered trafficking, even 
if they had entered into it voluntarily. Ambassador noted 
that persons smuggled into a country and then forced to work 
under indentured servitude would also be examples of cases of 
trafficking. Ambassador suggested that Pol/Econ and Hassan 
meet to discuss the plan and Djibouti's  situation in greater 
detail. This was agreed. 
7. (C) Comment: While the actions Youssouf described may be 
indirect efforts to combat trafficking, they are only 
coincidental. In addition, there seemed to be a great deal of 
confusion on what trafficking is and is not, a prime example 
being the frequent return to fighting prostitution. 
Pol/Econ's side discussions should clarify the matter with 
Mohamed Ali Hassan. For the moment, the Government seems 
reluctant to accept that a true trafficking situation exists. 
End Comment. 
RAGSDALE