MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ON RECENT U.S. AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001289

SIPDIS

CENTCOM FOR POLAD HOLZMAN; STATE FOR AF AND AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2014
TAGS: OVIP PGOV PREL DJ SO
SUBJECT: MEETING WITH FOREIGN MINISTER ON RECENT U.S. AND
CUBA VISITS

REF: STATE 213112

Classified By: Ambassador Marguerita D. Ragsdale.
For reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) In a meeting October 6 with Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ali Abdi Farah, Ambassador asked for the Minister's
impression of his and President Guelleh's recent trip to the
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA),which also included
stops in Washington and Cuba. Farah spoke in general terms
about the activities at UNGA and about President Guelleh's
speech, a matter of public record. Ambassador commented that
she thought it had been a comprehensive speech. Farah also
gave an account of Guelleh's meeting with Department of State
Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Newman which
dovetailed reftel. Farah added that the President had
exchanged views with Under Secretary for Political Affairs
Marc Grossman, who had commended him for Djibouti's role in
the struggle against terrorism. (Note: Embassy Djibouti has
not received a report of this exchange. End Note.)


2. (C) Farah stated that in Washington, Guelleh met with
Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana, Senator John Warner of
Virginia and Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. Farah was not
able to give substantive details of the meetings, but offered
the view that they had gone very well and that the
Congressmen were very well versed on Djibouti and had
discussed economic assistance, military cooperation, and
cooperation in the global war against terrorism. He remarked
that "one Congressman" had mentioned a point about the
U.S.-Djibouti military agreement and that President Guelleh
had queried what exactly the Congressman meant to say. "All
in all," he said, "the meetings went well."


3. (C) On Guelleh's visit to Cuba, Farah told Ambassador that
the purpose was mainly focused on establishing an exchange of
doctors and possible medical training. He said there is
great difficulty in finding medical schools that will accept
Djiboutian students due to a lack of places available.
However, Cuba has places and three years ago gave twenty
spots to Djiboutians. Farah said the hope for these
negotiations was to expand that number to forty, as well as
negotiate a number of trained specialists to work in
Djibouti. Currently there are five medical specialists from
Cuba working in Djibouti. He commented that the Cuban
doctors are not expensive and are very competent. The
Government of Djibouti pays these doctors a small stipend and
provides housing at their assigned locations in the outer
districts.


4. (C) Farah mentioned that he would depart tomorrow for
Nairobi to attend the Somalia conference where the
transitional parliament will elect a new President of
Somalia. A very large number had now been narrowed,
according to Farah, to 28 - down from 70. Responding to
Ambassador's inquiry, Farah said he was optimistic on the
issue of Somalia because for the first time every faction is
represented and everyone is participating. When asked what
the future of the self-proclaimed Republic of Somaliland
would be, Farah said, "we'll have to see." Farah said
Somaliland has been functioning well for nearly 15 years, but
relations with Somalia cannot be predicted until the new
president is chosen. The identity and personality of the
president will determine Somalia's course of action with
Somaliland. Farah commented, "we will discuss it."
RAGSDALE