MDA: FOLLOW-UP WITH OIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000678

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/18/2015
TAGS: PREF PHUM PREL DJ
SUBJECT: MDA: FOLLOW-UP WITH OIC

REF: SECSTATE 124830

Classified By: Pol/Econ Erinn C. Stott for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Pol/Econ delivered demarche per reftel 14 July to
Director of Bilateral Relations in the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Mohamed Ali Hassan. Hassan asked did the Swiss
government write to each member nation of the OIC directly
asking for this support. Pol/Econ said she was not sure, but
could check. He continued that the Swiss government should
send an official request regarding this issue, without such a
request it would be difficult for Djibouti to take a stand.
Hassan added that Djibouti is an Arab and Islamic state, and
the issue is sensitive. He also said that some of the
arguments put forward by Israel are not convincing, asking
why the crescent or the cross would be considered an unsafe
emblem for the population.
RAGSDALE