US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI755

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000755 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G/TIP, AF, AF/E, AND DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/28/2015 
TAGS: KCRM, PHUM, PREL, DJ 
SUBJECT: TIP ACTION PLAN: MEETING WITH DIRECTOR BILATERAL 
AFFAIRS 
 
REF: A. DJIBOUTI 708 
 
     B. STATE 136521 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Stott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (C) Pol/Econ met with Director of Bilateral Relations, 
Mohamed Ali Hassan, on 28 July to follow up on the 
Trafficking in Persons action plan demarched to Minister of 
Foreign Affairs, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (reftel A). Hassan 
said he had a chance to review the action plan and demarche 
submitted to the Minister by Ambassador. He commented that he 
was distressed by the TIP report because he worries the 
report indicated there is a chain of trafficking through or 
ending in Djibouti. He said he did not believe that this is 
the case. Hassan said he also felt the report implied that 
the Djiboutian government is involved in this trafficking by 
doing nothing to stop it. 
 
2. (C) Hassan continued that Djibouti's main problem stems in 
immigration controls. He commented that illegal immigration 
is where all the prostitutes come from. Djibouti is working 
with the U.S., he said, on its border security, but there is 
still work to be done. Hassan stated Djibouti already has 
cooperation with its neighbors to discuss all things related 
to borders and immigration. Djibouti is working with its 
neighbors to find a way to regularize the numerous illegal 
immigrants resident in Djibouti for decades, but, he said, 
there must be research done to be sure that their claims of 
long-term residency are true. In addition, Djibouti has 
bilateral discussions to arrange the legal procedures for 
extradition with its neighbors. Pol/Econ suggested that since 
Djibouti already has bilateral commissions with its 
neighbors, it could easily add Trafficking in Persons as a 
topic for debate, thus fulfilling one point in the action 
plan. Hassan said Djibouti was perfectly willing to raise 
this issue in its bilateral commissions. He added, however, 
the difficulty would be determining whether its neighbors 
would in turn be willing to discuss Trafficking and act upon 
the commissions discussions. 
 
3. (C) Hassan also noted that Trafficking in most senses is 
not documented to exist in Djibouti. He continued that many 
times the women working as prostitutes come to Djibouti to 
find jobs on their own and end up working as prostitutes. 
This is not an organized thing. Pol/Econ emphasized that this 
is where trafficking becomes a murky issue, and it is not 
always clear who is or is not a trafficking victim. She gave 
Hassan several fact sheets on trafficking and how to identify 
victims. She added that this particular issue is another 
excellent opportunity to work against trafficking through a 
public awareness campaign. By educating the public, the 
government can help arm the Djiboutian and immigrant women 
with the knowledge to recognize potential trafficking 
situations and how to assert their rights. Hassan said 
Djibouti is of course willing to consider this option. 
 
4. (C) Pol/Econ asked Hassan about the ratification of the 
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in 
Persons, Especially Women and children, supplementing the 
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized 
Crime, which she noticed was on April 20, 2005. She inquired 
whether this convention was considered law for Djibouti. She 
said she would ask the Trafficking in Persons office in 
Washington whether, if this law was in force in Djibouti, it 
could serve as a national law, one of the steps in the action 
plan proposed to the Djiboutian government. Hassan said he 
would look into it and was eager to continue working on this 
issue. 
RAGSDALE