DJIBOUTIAN RESPONSE TO NEW U.S. LANDMINE POLICY

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000310

SIPDIS

DEPT. FOR PM SEAL AND STICKELS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PM DJ
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTIAN RESPONSE TO NEW U.S. LANDMINE POLICY
AND VISION FOR REGIONALIZED TRAINING CENTER

REF: STATE 43579

SUMMARY
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1. (U) POLOFF delivered the tear line of reftel to Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Senior Councilor Djibril Elabe on March 1,

2004. Elabe is the MFA representative responsible for
Djibouti's demining portfolio and organized a "way forward"
forum for the Djiboutian Humanitarian Mine Action Center
(DMAC) after their January 29, 2004 declaration of "Mine
Safe" status. Elabe welcomed the new landmine policy as
"progress" but lamented that it was less forceful than that
previously proposed by former President Clinton. Elabe went
on to speak on his vision for the DMAC in Djibouti as a
regional training center working in collaboration with the
Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD). END
SUMMARY.

U.S. LANDMINE POLICY
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2. (U) Elabe described President Bush's new landmine policy
as "progress." He posed numerous questions on the life
expectancy of "temporary" mines as opposed to "persistent"
mines and whether the U.S. would make this mine technology
available to developing countries. He lamented that
President Bush's landmine policy seemed less forward than
that proposed by former President Clinton.

DMAC FORUM
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3. (U) Djibouti's Humanitarian Demining Program declared the
country of Djibouti "Mine Safe" on January 29, 2004. The
program was funded by the Department's Political/Military
Demining section and oversight was provided by RONCO
contractors. With the completion of the program, and the
financing, the MFA organized a forum to examine the future of
the demining center in Djibouti and ways forward. POLOFF was
invited to make remarks at the forum and after offering
congratulatory remarks focused on four points; that their was
still some unexploded ordinance (UXO) work for the deminers
to finish within their borders, that the forum should examine
how to integrate civil society into what had to this point
been a uniquely military organization, that the forum needed
to implement mechanisms that would protect the resources and
structure of the DMAC from other under-resourced Government
institutions, and that most importantly the way forward
rested on the reputation of the DMAC, which had to date
suffered no casualties in its work, and should not be asked
to operate outside its mandate or training in bomb disposal
for example.

THE WAY AHEAD
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4. (U) Elabe noted that an agenda of recommendations had been
born at the DMAC forum and that he would forward a copy to
POLOFF. He continued that he thought with the current
turbulent environment in the Horn of Africa region the DMAC
could serve a valuable role as a regional training center for
other demining operations. He pointed specifically to what
he hoped was approaching peace in Sudan and the need for
demining operations there. He spoke about the potential for
Sudanese deminers to come to Djibouti, perhaps through the
auspices of IGAD, to be trained in Djibouti and perhaps
partner with Djiboutian deminers in demining efforts in the
region. POLOFF commented that he was unsure of IGAD's
mandate but that he would pass the idea on as one of merit.

COMMENT
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5. (U) Djibouti's response to President Bush's new landmine
policy was positive if muted. Elabe seized the opportunity
to pursue Djibouti's agenda to identify a regional role for
its Humanitarian Demining Program which is now without
revenue and at risk of being cannibalized by the
under-resourced military. End Comment.
RAGSDALE