DJIBOUTI STRIKES (FRANCE) BACK; TENSIONS COULD

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001230 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL DJ SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI STRIKES (FRANCE) BACK; TENSIONS COULD DAMAGE RELATIONS REF: DJIBOUTI 1147 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Kathleen List for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. Djiboutians made an unprecedented show of support for their president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, during a government-organized rally on October 20 with over 20,000 people thronging the streets to express an anti-French sentiment over the celebrated Borrel Affair. Anti-French songs in three languages were heard on the radio several days preceding the march, and Imams included the issue during their Friday sermons. Family members of a Djiboutian national, who testified against Guelleh in 2000, were stripped of citizenship and expelled from Djibouti. Djibouti's government-sponsored newspaper continues to publish articles detailing Judge Borrel's involvement in a pedophile ring, citing this as cause for death by suicide rather than murder as Mrs. Borrel purports. Tensions between France and Djibouti have risen to the point of potentially damaging political relations. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) On October 20, marking the 12th anniversary of the death of French Judge Bernard Borrel, Djiboutians took to the street in an unprecedented manner during a government-organized rally to show support for President Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti's battle with France over the Borrel Affair. Early predictions indicated that between 1000 and 2000 would participate, but the final count was estimated at over 20,000, with some estimates as high as 35,000. Schools, businesses, and government offices were officially closed. People were transported to and from the rally point by buses and trucks. The crowd marched in front of the French Embassy in a peaceful manner, with no reports of damage or vandalism, while chanting anti-French slogans and carrying anti-French banners. During the following week, rallies were held in other cities throughout the country, with Guelleh making appearances and holding televised talks with local citizens. ¶3. (C) In the lead-up to the rally, anti-French songs in three languages were played on radio stations around the country. These songs accused France of false allegations in the Borrel Affair, and strongly stated the people's support for President Guelleh. At mosques throughout the city, the Borrel Affair was included in the Friday Sermon. Imams read from a document drafted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, encouraging citizens to participate in the demonstration. ¶4. (C) Three days after the large rally, the Government of Djibouti (GODJ) stripped citizenship from seven family members of a former Djiboutian military officer, now living in Belgium, who testified against Djibouti in 2000 and claimed to have first-hand knowledge of Guelleh's involvement in the Borrel Affair. (NOTE: In 1995, when Borrel died, Guelleh was Chief of National Security. END NOTE.) The seven family members had their Djiboutian passports seized and were put on the next plane to Sanaa, Yemen, where they reportedly also have citizenship. ¶5. (C) Djibouti's government-owned newspaper, La Nation, continues to publish articles affirming Djibouti's innocence in Judge Borrel's death. The recent series of articles have claimed that Borrel was involved in a pedophile ring dating back to the early 1990s. The Attorney General has opened an investigation into a pedophilia network after two victims filed complaints of sexual exploitation earlier this year (Reftel A). Borrel was implicated in this investigation under La Nation's headline "France the Pedophile." These articles state that Borrel's death was self-inflicted because his guilt at being involved in pedophilia, rather than murder as Mrs. Borrel claims. The articles have also accused ten other French nationals who resided in Djibouti during the 1990s, including a priest, a teacher, military personnel, and former diplomats, of being involved in this pedophilia ring. ¶6. (C) COMMENT. In our discussions with French nationals in the capital, they said they stayed inconspicuous the day of the demonstration, and implied this would blow over. Djiboutians, however, see the Borrel Affair as one of a series of events concerning French foreign policy in Africa--French President Sarkosy's speech in Senegal, the Sudanese "orphans" in Chad among others--that are weakening long-standing ties. Tensions between Djibouti and France have risen to the point of potentially damaging political and cultural relations. Tensions among Djiboutians also continue to mount, following the expulsion of seven Djiboutian citizens. Although many support Guelleh in his stance on the Borrel Affair, stripping Djiboutians of their citizenship has struck a sour note. The challenge now is for the GODJ to manage this momentum in a way that prevents the alleged past actions of individual French citizens from coloring their bilateral relations with France, and prevents the sparking of public anger over the expulsion of its own citizens. END COMMENT. LIST