1. (C) Pol/Econ met with Director of Bilateral Relations,
Mohamed Ali Hassan, on 28 July to follow up on the
Trafficking in Persons action plan demarched to Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (reftel A). Hassan
said he had a chance to review the action plan and demarche
submitted to the Minister by Ambassador. He commented that he
was distressed by the TIP report because he worries the
report indicated there is a chain of trafficking through or
ending in Djibouti. He said he did not believe that this is
the case. Hassan said he also felt the report implied that
the Djiboutian government is involved in this trafficking by
doing nothing to stop it.



2. (C) Hassan continued that Djibouti's main problem stems in
immigration controls. He commented that illegal immigration
is where all the prostitutes come from. Djibouti is working
with the U.S., he said, on its border security, but there is
still work to be done. Hassan stated Djibouti already has
cooperation with its neighbors to discuss all things related
to borders and immigration. Djibouti is working with its
neighbors to find a way to regularize the numerous illegal
immigrants resident in Djibouti for decades, but, he said,
there must be research done to be sure that their claims of
long-term residency are true. In addition, Djibouti has
bilateral discussions to arrange the legal procedures for
extradition with its neighbors. Pol/Econ suggested that since
Djibouti already has bilateral commissions with its
neighbors, it could easily add Trafficking in Persons as a
topic for debate, thus fulfilling one point in the action
plan. Hassan said Djibouti was perfectly willing to raise
this issue in its bilateral commissions. He added, however,
the difficulty would be determining whether its neighbors
would in turn be willing to discuss Trafficking and act upon
the commissions discussions.



3. (C) Hassan also noted that Trafficking in most senses is
not documented to exist in Djibouti. He continued that many
times the women working as prostitutes come to Djibouti to
find jobs on their own and end up working as prostitutes.
This is not an organized thing. Pol/Econ emphasized that this
is where trafficking becomes a murky issue, and it is not
always clear who is or is not a trafficking victim. She gave
Hassan several fact sheets on trafficking and how to identify
victims. She added that this particular issue is another
excellent opportunity to work against trafficking through a
public awareness campaign. By educating the public, the
government can help arm the Djiboutian and immigrant women
with the knowledge to recognize potential trafficking
situations and how to assert their rights. Hassan said
Djibouti is of course willing to consider this option.



4. (C) Pol/Econ asked Hassan about the ratification of the
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in
Persons, Especially Women and children, supplementing the
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime, which she noticed was on April 20, 2005. She inquired
whether this convention was considered law for Djibouti. She
said she would ask the Trafficking in Persons office in
Washington whether, if this law was in force in Djibouti, it
could serve as a national law, one of the steps in the action
plan proposed to the Djiboutian government. Hassan said he
would look into it and was eager to continue working on this
issue.
RAGSDALE