PRESIDENT GUELLEH PRAISES PARTNERSHIP WITH USG, AFRICOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DJIBOUTI 000101 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF AND AF/E CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA-WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019-02-08 TAGS: PREL PHSA MASS SO ER IR DJ SUBJECT: PRESIDENT GUELLEH PRAISES PARTNERSHIP WITH USG, AFRICOM CLASSIFIED BY: J. Swan, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. In a February 5 meeting with AFRICOM Commander General Ward, President Guelleh accepted thanks for Djibouti's hosting of the Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA),reiterated the GODJ's interest in maintaining a strong partnership with the USG, and praised AFRICOM's approach to the continent. On regional issues, Guelleh expressed measured optimism about the recent election of Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) President Sharif in Djibouti, and commented favorably on the growing international focus on combating piracy. Closer to home, Guelleh remained seized with the ongoing Djibouti-Eritrea border standoff, and predicted that Eritrea would continue to widen its negative influence as a regional spoiler. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Directly following the February 5 CJTF-HOA change of command ceremony, President Guelleh received AFRICOM Commander General William Ward, CJTF-HOA incoming Commander Rear Admiral Anthony Kurta, outgoing Commander Rear Admiral Philip Greene, Ambassador Swan, and PolOff (notetaker). Local press covered the group's arrival and departure, and posed brief questions to General Ward following the meeting. -------------- - PRAISE FOR PARTNERSHIP WITH U.S. -------------- ¶3. (U) General Ward began by thanking Guelleh for Djibouti's hosting of Camp Lemonier, and for the high level of support and cooperation from the GODJ. "All we have as an asset," Guelleh replied, "is the ability to grasp friendship, and the good news that our visitors will take back about this simple, modest, hospitable people who maintain good relations with others." Although we are "small and poor," Guelleh said, we are grateful to our "U.S. friends." General Ward affirmed that the U.S. desire to be in Djibouti was "very strong," and that we very much appreciated Djibouti's "hand of welcome." -------------- -------------- AFRICOM HAS SHOWN "SINCERITY AND GOODWILL" -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Guelleh told General Ward that while there had previously been a "lot of disinformation" about AFRICOM, the command had since "worked hard" to dispel these misconceptions by successfully showing "reality, sincerity, and goodwill." Guelleh agreed with General Ward on the importance of AFRICOM's programs being less about the U.S. than about "working with our partners in ways that they ask us to." Before the standup of AFRICOM, Guelleh said that African voices had been "so small" within CENTCOM that they "couldn't reach the decision makers." He praised the current approach, citing the example of U.S. cooperation with countries in the Sahara region to counter common threats. Likewise, Guelleh said, East Africa was vulnerable to being used by extremist groups for their own means, and called on the U.S. to continue its support to increase peace and security in the region. General Ward affirmed AFRICOM's commitment to strengthen cooperation in these areas. -------------- -------------- SOMALIA: PIRACY AND A NEW PRESIDENT -------------- -------------- DJIBOUTI 00000101 002 OF 003 ¶5. (C) On piracy, Guelleh said he was pleased that 22 countries had participated in a recent IMO conference hosted by Djibouti. Guelleh noted Djibouti's cooperation with the U.S. and the international community on combating piracy. Now, Guelleh said, many more countries are expressing an interest in anti-piracy efforts, including "China, Russia, and even Iran." Recalling the GODJ's longstanding advocacy for a comprehensive land-based solution, Guelleh underlined the need to improve the overall security situation and secure the coast. ¶6. (C) Asked by General Ward if Djiboutians felt optimistic about Somalia after the election of TFG President Sharif, Guelleh replied that there was now "a very high potential of at least stabilizing the country." However, he warned that the process ahead would be difficult. For the next two or three years, Guelleh predicted, "some people will try to destabilize Somalia." However, he added, on the positive side, the "vast majority" of Somalis are interested in peace and rehabilitation, "we are pushing the extremists into isolation," and the new President is "capable of handling the situation." ¶7. (C) Guelleh reported that he and his team had just had a good series of meetings in Addis Ababa, and was hopeful about the prospects of reinforcing AMISOM. Guelleh acknowledged that the U.S. had already contributed a large amount of money toward humanitarian aid in Somalia. However, he also said he was concerned that some Somalis had wrongly profited so much from international aid so as to become "new warlords," and agreed with Ambassador that future assistance to bolster security in Somalia, including the $5 million pledged from the USG, needed to be delivered in a transparent and accountable way. -------------- -------------- ERITREA AS REGIONAL TROUBLEMAKER -------------- -------------- ¶8. (C) Ambassador said that the U.S. continued to share the GODJ's concern about Eritrea acting as an ongoing threat to Djibouti and a regional spoiler, and told Guelleh that in looking forward to the imminent expiration of the five-week time period given to Eritrea by the recent UN Security Council Resolution, the USG would remain ready to work with the GODJ in finding an effective approach to the border standoff. "Eritrea," Guelleh replied "will never listen to any resolution." Guelleh suggested that a more effective negotiating lever would be for the U.S. to halt the flow of the 2% tax levied on Diaspora Eritreans by the GOE, calling these funds President Isaias' "only source of foreign exchange." "If you suspend these funds for one month," Guelleh argued, it will "make Eritrea obey any resolution." Furthermore, Guelleh warned, Isaias was too much under Libyan leader Al-Qadhafi's influence. Guelleh said that he was worried about Isaias "sending weapons" throughout the region, to Chad, Somalia, and other countries. Meanwhile, complaining that Isaias had shut down legitimate government institutions outside of the Presidency, Guelleh asked, "how long will the people of Eritrea continue to suffer?" (In a brief aside on Iran, Guelleh said that an Iranian naval vessel in Eritrea's Assab harbor is being used to funnel support to Shiite groups in Yemen.) -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶9. (C) President Guelleh pointedly asked General Ward whether DJIBOUTI 00000101 003 OF 003 AFRICOM was "growing," and if he planned to "stay in Germany." Likewise, a local reporter from state-run media asked General Ward after the meeting if AFRICOM's headquarters would move, and where. General Ward stressed AFRICOM's current focus on programmatic activities on the continent rather than the location of the headquarters. Djibouti has previously offered to host AFRICOM, and these questions underline that this receptivity-alongside a sustained commitment to the current hosting of CJTF-HOA-still remains. END COMMENT. ¶10. (U) General Ward did not have an opportunity to clear this message before departing Djibouti. SWAN To view the entire SMART message, go to URL http://repository.state.sgov.gov/_layouts/OSS SearchResults.aspx?k=messageid:018ce65f-badf- 45d6-8584-89bdb997cbd2