DJIBOUTI AT LOGGERHEADS WITH SAUDI ARABIA OVER

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000391

SIPDIS

STATE FOR AF AND AF/E
STATE ALSO FOR USAID
LONDON/PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/19/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV SCUL SOCI PINR EAID SA DJ
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI AT LOGGERHEADS WITH SAUDI ARABIA OVER
RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION

REF: DJIBOUTI 246

Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE.
REASONS 1.5 (D) AND (G).


1. (C) The 4/19-20 visit of the president of Al-Imam Mohamed
Ibn Saud Islamic University, Dr. Mohamed Al-Salem, gave Arab
League member state Djibouti the opportunity to reiterate to
Saudi Arabia its concerns about instruction offered
Djibouti's youth under Saudi auspices. Acting Minister of
Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Youssouf told Ambassador 4/20,
during a meeting at the Foreign Ministry, that he had been
tasked to lay out clearly to al-Salem Djibouti's demand that
Saudi Arabia swiftly bring its primarily religious education
programs in Djibouti in line with standards and curricula of
Djibouti's Ministry of Education.


2. (C) Al-Salem arrived with an express purpose to hand out
"diplomas" for a "graduation ceremony" of students completing
a program of study at the Saudi-funded Islamic Institute.
According to Youssouf, none of the so-called "diplomas" are
recognized by the Government of Djibouti and the graduation
did not leave recipients with sufficient job or life skills.
Youth receiving the diplomas would join the large number of
those already unemployed. A mere handful -- perhaps 5 or 6 --
might be offered scholarships for further study in Saudi
Arabia. (Note: While the graduation ceremony was billed as
"under the high patronage" of Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed
Dileita, neither the Prime Minister nor the Minister of
Education or Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs attended.
They told al-Salem they were tied up in ministerial meetings.
Nevertheless, Youssouf sent a representative, who stated in
his remarks at the ceremony that the value of education is to
prepare students to meet work force needs in the future. End
note.)


3. (C) The instruction at the Islamic Institute in Djibouti
is primarily religious in focus and impacts nearly 400
students. According to Youssouf, most of the students are
not Djiboutian at all but Ethiopian and Somali refugees who
have used forged documents to register themselves with the
schools. He said Djibouti had protested officially Saudi
willingness to accept these fake documents yet it is obliged
to tread carefully to avoid damaging relations. Saudi Arabia
is a significant contributor to development aid for Djibouti.
Yet, he said Djibouti will not allow its schools to be used
to instruct in a way that does not benefit the country.
Youssouf specifically cited fears about the potential
groundwork being laid for extremist ideology.


4. (C) Youssouf's views mirror those of Minister of Education
Abdi Ibrahim Absieh, who informed us of his concern that
education provided under Saudi auspices was not
"progressive." Absieh had asked us last month if we could
help him develop a strategy and action plan to deal with
Saudi schools (see reftel). Absieh did not attend a dinner,
to which Ambassador was also invited, hosted by the Saudi
ambassador to Djibouti, in honor of al-Salem. Instead, he
sent a representative from the education ministry. According
to Youssouf, the minister wanted to send a stern message to
al-Salem over instruction at Saudi institutes broadly, but
that it had been decided that he (Youssouf) would deliver the
same message more diplomatically. To make matters worse,
al-Salem asked the Foreign Ministry to grant consular status
to its institutes in Djibouti in order to given them
diplomatic immunity. Youssouf said his government is refusing
this request.


5. (C) Comment: On the politics of education in Djibouti, the
government's concern seems well-justified. Cloaked in
secrecy behind high walls, Saudi education methods and
programs at its institutes are cause for concern. This most
recent, and more vigorous step, to force Saudi compliance
with Djiboutian education prescriptives is testament to
Djibouti's impatience with the Saudis on this point, but also
an indicator of its increased concern about the possibility
of a growth in fundamentalist influence. End comment.


6. (C) Bio-data: Al-Salem told Ambassador he had studied in
the U.S., receiving a bachelor's degree from the University
of California at Santa Barbara in education administration
and an advanced degree from the University of Oregon in
Eugene. Personable, and well-spoken in English, his
conversation revealed no specific political or ideological
leanings. Yet he seemed keen to defend Saudi education as
having no extremist intent, and broached the matter himself
without prompting. End bio-data.
RAGSDALE