DJIBOUTI ON AFRICOM: WELCOME

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000815 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA BANDO, NEA/RA SOUCEK, AND PM/PPA FOSTER LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2018 TAGS: MARR PREL KPAO DJ SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI ON AFRICOM: WELCOME REF: STATE 104550 (NOTAL) Classified By: PolOff Rebecca K. Hunter for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) PolOff delivered reftel points on AFRICOM stand up to GODJ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director for International Organizations Mohamed Idriss Farah on October ¶15. ¶2. (C) Farah communicated Djibouti's strong positive attitude towards AFRICOM, which he characterized as "very important for stability and development." Farah suggested that while AFRICOM's public message might have been too complicated or confusing at first, now the USG would do well to emphasize AFRICOM's potential contributions towards the stability and security that are crucial for Africa's economic development. ¶3. (SBU) Farah also reiterated Djibouti's offer to host AFRICOM headquarters, calling Djibouti the "natural location" both for its strategic position and for the GODJ's experience in hosting the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: No other country in Africa is as directly supportive of AFRICOM as Djibouti. Djibouti currently hosts 2,500 U.S. troops and military contractors serving with CJTF-HOA and other tenant commands at the only U.S. military base in Africa. Senior Djiboutian officials, including the foreign minister and the chief of defense (CHOD),have repeatedly told visiting U.S. officials that Djibouti welcomes AFRICOM and values U.S. military presence in Djibouti, believing that it encourages foreign direct investment. END COMMENT. WONG