ARHIBA PROTESTS IN DJIBOUTI ADDRESSED BY PRIME

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000822 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/13/2014 TAGS: PGOV ELAB ECON EINV CASC ASEC DJ SUBJECT: ARHIBA PROTESTS IN DJIBOUTI ADDRESSED BY PRIME MINISTER REF: DJIBOUTI 795 Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Reed for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) Seven youths from the Arhiba neighborhood were arrested on the afternoon of 8 June, following protests against hiring practices at Djibouti's new Doraleh Port Facility and Free Zone. These arrests were the subject of a second day of protests on 9 June. ¶2. (U) Prime Minister, Dileita Mohammed Dileita, speaking before Parliament on 10 June said, these seven arrests were related to several graffiti messages that appeared on a public wall during the protests and that had possible terrorist connotations. The Prime Minister stated that the arrests were not aimed at harming the community but rather were made as a precaution against what the government sees as "outside influences" seeking to use the youth. He also said in his remarks that these graffiti messages and the force behind the protests needed to be investigated "in order to protect friends and guests in Djibouti." (Note: This comment refers to the French, American and coalition military presence in Djibouti.) He told Parliament that these protests incite tribal hatred and that the Djiboutian government would not tolerate threats. ¶3. (U) Four of the seven arrested claimed responsibility for the graffiti, the other three denied involvement. Those that confessed were sent to Gabode prison pending full investigation. The three who denied involvement were temporarily released on 12 June, pending a full investigation. ¶3. (C) Comment: Pol/Econ and Econ FSN drove by the wall on which the graffiti had been scrawled. The messages were heavily anti-government, anti-Guelleh and anti-the recently inaugurated Free Zone. Some of the messages included: "The Free Zone is a Presidential Boutique," "IOG (Ismael Omar Guelleh) profits, steals from the citizens, we will respond otherwise this time," "IOG - the people are not fools, stop dreaming," "Arhiba is united in misery against injustice and oppression." Most of the graffiti messages had a similar content and did not explicitly indicate terrorist intentions. The one message on the wall that is more likely to be construed as a terrorist threat stated: "We like sacrifice, we have martyrs and we have terrorists." This message is more likely aimed at eliciting a sharp government response rather than indicating anti-foreign sentiment. RAGSDALE