Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SANAA1139
2008-07-07 10:58:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Sanaa
Cable title:  

DJIBOUTIAN EMBASSY IN YEMEN COMMENTS ON HORN OF

Tags:  PGOV PREL DJ YM 
pdf how-to read a cable
R 071058Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY SANAA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 9881
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 
AMEMBASSY ASMARA 
AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI 
HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
CJTF HOA
C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001139 

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1 JUL 2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL DJ YM
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTIAN EMBASSY IN YEMEN COMMENTS ON HORN OF
AFRICA RELATIONS

REF: SANAA 1107

Classified By: AMBASSADOR STEPHEN A. SECHE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SANAA 001139

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP

E.O. 12958: DECL: 1 JUL 2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL DJ YM
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTIAN EMBASSY IN YEMEN COMMENTS ON HORN OF
AFRICA RELATIONS

REF: SANAA 1107

Classified By: AMBASSADOR STEPHEN A. SECHE FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) Hassan Ali Hassan, deputy head of mission at the
Djiboutian Embassy in Yemen, told PolOff on 30 June that
tensions are still high between Djibouti and Eritrea. Hassan
said the Eritrean Army has encroached into Djibouti to the
city of Moulhole. There have been several attempts to enter
into negotiations with Eritrea. Yemen, the UN Security
Council and African Union have all tried to bring the country
to the negotiating table, but it refuses, Hassan said.
Currently in some areas the Eritrean and Djiboutian armies
are as little as 5 meters apart and Hassan opined it would
only take a small mistake for the situation to escalate into
open warfare. Hassan commented that Djibouti has made
several offers, but has no idea what Eritrea wants.


2. (C) Hassan commented that Yemeni-Djibouti relations are
good, but that Djibouti has not entered into the Sana'a Forum
for fear of Eritrean reaction (reftel). Eritrea is adverse
to Djibouti playing a role in any negotiations within the
Horn of Africa and was upset that the UN selected Djibouti as
the site for Somalia-Ethiopia negotiations. He opined that
possibly Eritrea fears successful completion of peace talks
between Somalia and Ethiopia would free large numbers of
Ethiopian troops to man the borders between Ethiopia and
Eritrea.

SECHE