DJIBOUTI -- SUMMARY OF DJIBOUTI PRESS 12/28/08

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 001035

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, AF/PD, AND INR/AA
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
AFRICOM AND CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KPAO KMDR PREL PGOV DJ XA
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI -- SUMMARY OF DJIBOUTI PRESS 12/28/08

REF: STATE 120090

INDEX


1. Djibouti-United States: Barring the Route to the Traffic of
Nuclear Materials (La Nation)

2. University of Djibouti: English Books Donation (La Nation)

3. Senator Feingold in Djibouti (La Nation)

4. Diplomatic Ballet in Djibouti (La Nation)



1. Djibouti-United States: Barring the Route to the Traffic of
Nuclear Materials
La Nation
Monday, December 15, 2008

Contributing to the struggle against nuclear proliferation, the
Republic of Djibouti signed a major agreement with the United States
on the prevention and repression of the traffic of nuclear and
radioactive materials.

The Republic of Djibouti and the United States of America signed a
memorandum of understanding whose goal is to prevent, crack down,
and combat illegal trafficking of nuclear and radioactive materials
on Friday, December 12.

This signature ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought
together the Djiboutian Foreign Minister, Mahamoud Ali, the Minister
of Transport, Ali Hassan, and the Ambassador of the United States to
Djibouti, representing the National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA),James Swan.

This agreement is part of the Megaports Initiative (MPI) by the NNSA
of the US Energy Department.

The goal of this initiative launched in 2003 is to support the
Container Security Initiative meant to prevent the smuggling of
nuclear and radioactive devices.

Five years after it has been launched, the Megaports Initiative is
operational in 19 countries and is being negotiated with 20 other
countries around the world.

The Port of Djibouti located between Asia, Europe, the Arabic
Peninsula and Africa has the capacity to handle 10 million tons of
cargo and 400,000 containers a year.

The new containers terminal of Doraleh is to handle 1.5 million
containers a year, making the port of Djibouti the highest
performing port in East Africa.

The 18th Council of Ministers led by President Guelleh on November
22 approved a draft law to ratify the convention of chemical weapons
adopted in January 1993 by the General assembly of the United
Nations.

This convention is aimed at prohibiting the fabrication, stocking,
and use of chemical weapons. The signatories are committed to
destroy all the chemical weapons and all chemical weapons plants.

The government of Djibouti showed once again his goodwill to
participate in the international efforts in promoting peace and
stability around the world.



2. University of Djibouti: English Books Donation
La Nation
Thursday, December 22, 2008

The Cultural attach of the US embassy to Djibouti, Niles Cole,
handed books over to the President of the University of Djibouti,
Dr. Abdillahi Omar. These books will help the students improve
their English language skills as well as their knowledge in subjects
such as accounting, management, marketing and so on. The President
of the University of Djibouti thanked the young diplomat on behalf
of the Minister of Education and Higher Learning, the professors and
the students for this gesture from the US Diplomatic mission.

The Ministry and the Embassy are planning to enhance their
partnership. Djiboutian students could obtain scholarships to
pursue their studies in the United States.


3. Senator Feingold in Djibouti
La Nation
Thursday, December 22, 2008

The US Senator, Russ Feingold, who arrived in Djibouti last

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Saturday, was received by President Ismael Omar Guelleh with whom he
discussed about the latest developments of the crisis in Somalia.
The Democrat senator stated that the United States was supporting
the Djibouti peace process.

As he was received by President Guelleh, Senator Feingold told him
that the United States was supporting the Djibouti peace process.

The American Senator and the President also discussed about the
cooperation between their two countries.

Mr. Feingold met separately with Prime Minister Nour Addeh, the
leader of the ARS, Sheikh Shariff Sheikh Ahmed.

Born in 1953 in Janesville, Wisconsin, Russ Dana Feingold is a
member of the Democrat Party and Senator of the Wisconsin since

1993.

He is a specialist of the African Affairs and is in favor of
withdrawing US troops from Iraq.


4. Diplomatic Ballet in Djibouti
La Nation
Thursday, December 22, 2008

The US Democrat Senator, Russ Feingold, Chairman of the Africa
Committee at the Senate, held meeting successively with the
President of the self-declared Republic of Somliland, Daher Rayaleh,
the Special Envoy, Ould Abdallah, the Somali Prime Minister, Nour
Hassan Houssein, and the leader of the ARS, Sheikh Sharif inside the
American Embassy.

After meeting with these various Somali leaders, the Senator stated
in a press conference that his country was supporting the Djibouti
peace process as he hailed the agreements signed by ARS and the
Somali TFG.

Mr. Russ Feingold also highlighted that his country was planning to
contain fundamentalist groups such as Al Shabab. He called the
group a "dangerous" organization that represents a major risk for
the security of the countries in the region.

According to the Senator, the international community is working on
an action plan to curb piracy in the Gulf of Aden.


SWAN