US embassy cable - 05DJIBOUTI804

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000804 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/E AND H; 
PARIS, LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/2015 
TAGS: PREL, OVIP, OREP, DJ 
SUBJECT: CODEL PAYNE MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER 
 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Stott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) Summary: Congressman Donald Payne and delegation met 
August 3 with Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mahamoud Ali 
Youssouf to discuss regional and bilateral relations. 
Youssouf briefed the Congressman on Djibouti's relations with 
its neighbors, food security, anti-terrorism efforts, 
Somaliland and Somalia. End Summary. 
 
Regional and Bilateral Issues 
----------------------------- 
2. (C) Youssouf told Congressman Payne that the U.S. role in 
the Horn of Africa was of the utmost importance. The region 
has not experienced global peace in some time. He said when 
war and conflict are present, misery and poverty come. The 
Horn of Africa could be considered the poorest region in 
Africa. Youssouf added that when misery and poverty are the 
prevailing conditions, terrorism will exist. He continued 
that Somalia is a worrisome place for Djibouti. The region is 
trying to establish peace in Somalia. Djibouti tried twice, 
Ethiopia tried, Eritrea tried, Kenya tried, and still Somalia 
is a worrisome situation. Youssouf said there is also the war 
in Ethiopia and Eritrea. This situation has been detrimental 
to the economic development of the region as a whole. He said 
this contributes to a flux in stability of the region. 
Djibouti has established relations with all of its 
neighboring countries despite the conflicts. 
 
3. (C) Djibouti is involved in the Global War on Terror. It 
has always been Djibouti's policy to avoid involvement in the 
regional conflicts, which has allowed it to remain peaceful. 
Youssouf said the help and assistance from the U.S. has been 
excellent. Djibouti and the U.S. have been negotiating a new 
base lease, economic development, and ESF. Djibouti is very 
please that USAID reopened and started very valuable projects 
in health Education, livestock and FEWSNET. However, Youssouf 
said, it is difficult to satisfy human needs and Djibouti 
must keep asking for more. Overall, Djibouti is very pleased 
with U.S. cooperation. 
 
Food Security in Djibouti 
------------------------- 
4. (C) In response to Payne's question on food security in 
Djibouti and the droughts in the region, Youssouf said the 
Horn regularly experiences periodic drought. The most 
dramatic was in 1984. It is almost every ten years, it is 
something permanent for us. Trying to cope with it means 
establishing food stores, but Djibouti is not agricultural 
society. It is a very difficult situation. Even with 
Ethiopia, a country that is very agriculturally oriented, 
there are problems with droughts. Djibouti has a very good 
program with the Famine Early Warning System Network 
(FEWSNET) but still we need assistance from abroad. There is 
a need to have a common policy in the region because all of 
our economies are interlinked. Ethiopia does not have access 
to the sea and we need Ethiopia for commerce. It would be 
good if the U.S. could help on that issue. Payne responded 
that at one point in the early 1990's there was a regional 
effort called the Horn of Africa Initiative. He commented 
perhaps it was time to look into that program again. 
 
Progress of Anti-Terrorism Efforts 
---------------------------------- 
5. (C) Youssouf told Payne the American base in Djibouti 
provides a large number of jobs for the youth and the 
military personnel carry out civil affairs work, which has 
given the Americans a very good reputation. They have been 
assimilated as friends to the Djiboutians. Youssouf said it 
was not easy in the beginning to make the French and the 
Americans live together, but they have found common ground in 
their efforts to reach the same goals. They both work to 
maintain peace and security and the environment now is very 
good. 
 
Djibouti's View of Somaliland and Somalia 
----------------------------------------- 
6. (C) Youssouf said Djibouti does not like to negotiate on 
the integrity and territory of Somalia. If we opened hope for 
our friends in Somaliland, it might prevent global peace in 
Somalia. Still we are friendly, heads of Somaliland come to 
Djibouti often and are received as government officials. 
Djibouti is not encouraging a secession policy because it is 
not in the interest of the region. It conveys the message 
that Djibouti supports unity in Somalia. Djibouti will do 
everything to establish peace in Somalia. Other Arab 
countries are doing the same. However, Somaliland deserves to 
be helped. They have worked to stabilize their situation. We 
can help socially, but not politically. 
 
7. (C) Payne asked whether the African Union was making any 
indication that it would move to recognize Somaliland. 
Youssouf said he did not think so, but the AU was trying to 
influence countries to change their positions. Even so, 
Youssouf said, Africa is not ready to recognize in the near 
future. In response to HIRC Staffer Dagne's question on how 
long the two sides had been together, Youssouf said for more 
than 40 years. Somalia and Somaliland were joined shortly 
after they gained independence from their colonials powers. 
Somaliland separated after the 1991 fall of Somalia. 
 
8. (C) Dagne asked whether there had been much integration 
between the two countries during their union. Dagne commented 
that with two different colonials powers, Somaliland seemed 
better prepared to govern. He said new countries do better 
when there is some form of system to work from. The way 
different colonial power governs influences the way countries 
self-govern. Youssouf replied the most peculiar thing in 
Somalia was the conflict was between the same people. Somalia 
is a nation state. The people speak the same language, have 
the same history (except for colonial periods), the same 
religion. Apart from their colonial histories, they are the 
same people. It is difficult to understand how they reached a 
state of civil war among the same tribes, it is unprecedented 
in Africa. Youssouf continued that the first decade of the 
national political system led by Siad Barre is the origin of 
the tribal issues in Somalia. Everything was done on a tribal 
basis. This was very detrimental to Somalia. Putting aside 
tribal differences was not a priority for Siad Barre. 
Interference from other forces did not help Somalia get 
together. When a country is weak and cannot control its own 
position, its destiny is decided by others. Djibouti is 
working within the framework of the Intergovernmental 
Authority on Development (IGAD) to try to reconcile the two 
sides through good will initiatives. There is no concrete 
evidence they will go back to Mogadishu. 
 
9. (C) Payne commented it seems like Somaliland gets punished 
because Mogadishu cannot get its stuff together. Somaliland 
cannot be recognized, but they are penalized. There is no 
solution yet to the security situation in Mogadishu. For the 
government to be hesitant to go back to its own capital is 
dangerous. How long can they govern from another location? 
Payne followed by asking whether Djibouti's work on the peace 
process in Arta in 2000 had affected its relations with 
Ethiopia. Youssouf responded that Ethiopia considers Somalia 
a potential danger because three wars have been fought over 
the Ogaden. It is a security issue for Ethiopia, they feel 
they have a say on the Somalia issue. Ethiopia feels that if 
Somalia has a strong central government, claims for the 
Ogaden will continue. However, having a Somalia that is 
"Balkanized" into several small authorities is not in their 
interest either. A collapsed state is not good either. 
Ethiopia's policy can be considered as a maneuver to keep the 
status quo. 
MCGOWAN