DJIBOUTI PM ON BORDER SITUATION; GOVERNANCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000949 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E LONDON, PARIS FOR AFRICA-WATCHER CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/25/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PBTS PHUM EAID ET DJ SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI PM ON BORDER SITUATION; GOVERNANCE Classified By: Ambassador James C. Swan for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. During an introductory courtesy call, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita thanked the Ambassador for USG assistance in Djibouti, including USAID health and education programs, and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) civil affairs projects. On the Djibouti-Eritrea border standoff, Dileita expressed frustration at Eritrea's ongoing unwillingness to discuss or even acknowledge the issue, and called for further Security Council actions. Despite his concerns about the border impasse, Dileita said that he had not been aware of GODJ restrictions on CJTF-HOA civil affairs activities in northern Djibouti, and promised to seek clarification. Domestically, Dileita emphasized Djibouti's recent progress on good governance, while acknowledging that challenges--such as the lack of opposition electoral participation--remain. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) The Ambassador and EmbOffs met with Prime Minister Dileita on November 24 for a formal courtesy call. Local television filmed the Ambassador's arrival and initial greetings with the Prime Minister. During 45 minutes of subsequent friendly conversation, the Ambassador outlined peace and security collaboration, development assistance, and good governance as the three major axes of the U.S.-Djibouti partnership. Dileita welcomed the Ambassador to Djibouti, saying that Djibouti was "proud" of its engagement with the United States. Dileita thanked the Ambassador for USAID's work in health and education, which he said had increased ordinary Djiboutians' positive feelings toward the United States and the U.S. presence in Djibouti. Dileita also said that the establishment of CJTF-HOA at Camp Lemonier had been an important catalyst for Djibouti's economic development, ushering in a new era of increased foreign direct investment, especially from Gulf countries. In addition to U.S.-Djibouti cooperation on counterterrorism and in other domains, Dileita said that Djiboutians very much appreciated CJTF-HOA's "social actions" throughout the country. ¶3. (C) On the Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute, Dileita said that he was concerned about the GODJ's ongoing heavy expenditures to maintain Djiboutian troops near the border region since June 2008. Dileita contrasted Djibouti's consistently helpful, peaceful role vis-a-vis regional conflicts with Eritrea's total unwillingness to "explain itself" or even acknowledge the border problem. Dileita stressed the importance of demilitarizing the border area, which had become a "military zone" due to Eritrea's trench fortifications and small naval presence at Doumeira island. He noted that both sides of the border area were populated by people of the same Afar ethnic group, under the traditional leadership of the same hereditary Afar Sultan. Dileita said that he appreciated his meetings earlier this year with the U.S. and French Missions to the UN, and the "very favorable" UN and USG statements on the border. However, he said the GODJ sensed some "reticence" among Security Council members, and felt that there had still been insufficient "appropriate" UN action. ¶4. (C) On domestic issues, Dileita said that Djibouti had recently made "a lot of progress" in improving governance and combating corruption, through the formation of anti-corruption bodies. Some 8 political parties were legal, of which 5 comprised the governing UMP coalition. He readily acknowledged that "some problems" remained, including the lack of opposition participation in recent elections. "We'd like them to participate," Dileita said, and called the boycotts "not good for democracy." He commented that there was currently a lack of "credible" opposition and opposition leadership. On press freedom, Dileita noted that the opposition newspaper "Le Renouveau," which was shut down by the GODJ in 2007, would have been welcome to continue publication if its leadership had been willing to name a new editor who was resident in Djibouti, as is required under Djiboutian law. ¶5. (C) When the Ambassador raised the issue of the current blanket restriction on CJTF-HOA activities, including civil affairs projects, in the north of Djibouti (imposed following the June 2008 outbreak of hostilities with Eritrea),Dileita said that he had not been aware that the GODJ had issued such a restriction. Dileita promised to look into the question, saying that he appreciated past civil affairs projects in the north, and saw "no problem" with a resumption of activities not directly adjacent to the border area. ¶6. (C) COMMENT. Prime Minister Dileita is the highest-ranking ethnic Afar in the GODJ and a native of the northern town of Tadjourah. Thus the Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute, and its ongoing impact on populations in northern Djibouti, is of particular personal concern to him. Likewise, he has been concerned by the GODJ's attempts to address a recent spate of "banditry" in Djibouti's north (septel),traveling to Tadjourah to meet with the local population and encourage them not to condone such acts. While a visible public figure within the GODJ, Dileita is not among President Ismail Omar Guelleh's inner circle of key decision-makers. END COMMENT. SWAN