DEMARCHE DELIVERED: DONOR SUPPORT FOR TFG FOLLOWING

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 001023 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/08/05 TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID SO DJ SUBJECT: DEMARCHE DELIVERED: DONOR SUPPORT FOR TFG FOLLOWING AGREEMENT WITH PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS REF: 09 STATE 79853; 09 DJIBOUTI 951; 09 DJIBOUTI 991 CLASSIFIED BY: E. WONG, CDA; REASON: 1.4(B),(D) ¶1. (U) Charge discussed reftel points with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director of Bilateral Relations Mohamed Ali Hassan August 4. ¶2. (SBU) Hassan hailed the agreement between Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) as a positive development. Noting that Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf was personally committed to ensuring that all pledges to the TFG are fulfilled, Hassan said that it had proven difficult for pledges made to the African Union to be transferred to the TFG. Hassan agreed that the TFG-PWC contract was a helpful tool to persuade donor countries to follow through on their commitments. ¶3. (C) COMMENT. As host of the "Djibouti Process," the GODJ is fully invested in supporting the TFG, and has provided significant military and diplomatic support to the TFG. Djibouti is also is currently training 460 TFG recruits at a military camp in southern Djibouti (ref B). Djibouti has requested assistance from the USG for equipping and transporting the TFG recruits, as well as financial support for two shipments of weapons delivered at the urgent request of TFG President Sharif in May 2009 (ref C). END COMMENT. WONG