DJIBOUTI -- DAILY SUMMARY OF DJIBOUTI PRESS 11/30/08

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000953 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 -- DAILY SUMMARY OF DJIBOUTI PRESS 11/30/08 REF: STATE 120090 INDEX ¶1. Djibouti delegation holds talks with President Rayaale, cabinet ministers (Turkish Weekly) ¶2. Urban farmers exporting fruit, vegetable to Djibouti (Walta Information Center, Ethiopia) ¶3. Yemen, Djibouti discuss coordinating efforts to combat piracy (Yemen News Agency) ¶4. Yemeni-Djibouti presidential talks (Yemen News Agency) Articles: Djibouti delegation holds talks with President Rayaale, cabinet ministers Journal of Turkish Weekly - Ankara, Turkey Friday, 28 November 2008 HARGEISA, Somaliland -A delegation from Djibouti has promised to give extra consideration towards recognizing Somaliland as a nation state. Mr. Hashi Abdilahi, special advisor to President Ismail Omar Guelleh, said: "After the terrorist attacks [in Somaliland] we will think of what they can do about unstable Somalia, which they have spent time and energy on dealing with for so long, but is still suffering without a stable and committed government." The advisor, who was part of the delegation that spent two days in Hargeisa, added: "We will definitely work closely with Somaliland no matter what other Somalis will feel, but I am not going to say things in advance; you Somalilanders must wait, bearing in mind that we [Djibouti] are considering the case for independence." The delegation was led by the finance minister of Djibouti Minister, Ali Farah Asowe. He gave an exclusive interview with the SSI and mentioned that the main aim of their trip was opening the third largest French private bank, which will be coming to Hargeisa in January 2009. He also briefly talked about how the high prices of food and oil affected their preparations for next year's budget. He said: "It slowed down the usual thinking of the preparations, but we have all the funds from the IMF, the World Bank, the AU, the EU, and so on. I think Somaliland, which is not getting such assistance, and also had the disaster of the terror attacks, should be a role model to the Djibouti government and its people who lost their will towards doing things for themselves and instead wait for international community's assistance." The minister of finance of Somaliland, Ambassador. Awil Ali Duale, who organized the visit, said: "We are from Africa, specifically the Horn, and we welcome all our neighbours." The Somaliland delegation will go to Djibouti on December 7 to open trade offices in both countries and the bank will come soon after that meeting. The President of Somaliland Dahir Rayaale Kahin held talks on the last day of the delegation's visit and thanked them for offering their sympathy on Somaliland's black day. He also thanked them for all the other support they had given and said he hoped the countries would continue to co-operate. Urban farmers exporting fruit, vegetable to Djibouti Walta Information Center, Ethiopia - 23 hours ago Saturday, 29 November 2008 Dire Dawa, November 29 (WIC) - Farmers engaged in urban farming in Dired Dawa town said that they are earning income by exporting various vegetable and fruits to Djibouti. The farmers told WIC that they are improving their livelihood as they are getting a considerable sum of money by supplying to the local market and exporting high market value fruit and vegetable varieties to Djibouti. Some of the urban farmers developing tomato, onion, green pepper, orange, papaya and mandarin using deep water wells around Boro area commented that they are getting good results in urban farming activities. Experts of the town's administration agriculture office are providing professional assistance to the urban farmers. DJIBOUTI 00000953 002 OF 002 Agriculture extension team leader with the office, Ayalew Merid also said encouraging results have been witnessed in urban farming as the office has given considerable focus to the sector. Some 23 individuals and seven associations are currently engaged in fruit, vegetable development, animal husbandry and other forms of urban farming around Dire Dawa town, the team leader indicated. The office has designed short, medium and long term plans aimed at fully ensuring food security in the area, Ayalew said. Yemen, Djibouti discuss coordinating efforts to combat piracy Yemen News Agency, Yemen - 29 November 2008 ADEN, Nov. 29 (Saba) - Yemen and Djibouti discussed here on Saturday the necessity to coordinate both countries' efforts in cooperation with the international endeavors to combat piracy and secure the international navigation in the region. Deputy Premier for Defense and Security affairs Rashad al-Alimi held talks with Foreign Minister of Djiboutian Mahmoud Ali Yousef over the situation in Somali and Horn of Africa in addition to piracy acts in the Red Sea. The meeting also reviewed the latest developments in the regional and international areas as well as bilateral relations between the two countries. Yemeni- Djibouti presidential talks Yemen News Agency, Yemen ADEN, Nov. 29 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Djibouti's President Ismail Omer Guelleh held talks on Saturday at the 22nd May Palace in Aden province that stressed the importance of boosting the bilateral relationship. The two presidents also discussed the regional latest developments topped by the situation in the African Horn. They affirmed the importance of well-joint coordination to bring stability and security to Somalia to help Somalis reorganize the country's institutions. Furthermore, the two presidents discussed the issue of piracy which has recently been active as pirates stepped up attacks on vessels in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia's coast as well as ways to put along with international efforts an end to a phenomenon threatening one of the world's most important waterways. The two leaders, however, held closed talks to discuss issues of mutual concern and to exchange viewpoints over the regional and international developments. SWAN