DJIBOUTI SEEKS TO HOST SOMALI COUNTER-PIRACY

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000027 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR PM/PPA AND AF/E E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/11/2019 TAGS: KCRM EWWT MOPS PBTS PHSA PTER SO DJ XA SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI SEEKS TO HOST SOMALI COUNTER-PIRACY COORDINATION CENTER REF: A. SECSTATE 1223 ¶B. DJIBOUTI 6 (NOTAL) Classified By: DCM ERIC WONG. REASON: 1.4 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (U) Per reftel, Post forwarded draft agenda and draft communique for January 13-14 Contact Group on Somali Piracy (CGSP) to MFA Director of Bilateral Affairs Mohamed Ali Hassan on January 8. Ambassador subsequently provided Post's French-language translation (emailed to AF/RSA and PM/PPA) to Foreign Minister Mohamoud Ali Youssouf on January 11. FM Youssouf confirms that Djibouti will participate in the CGSP, represented by Djibouti's Ambassador to the United States and UN PermRep, Amb. Roble Olhaye. ¶2. (U) Welcoming the draft communique's reference to the establishment of a Counter-Piracy Coordination Center ("Focus Area 2") in the region, FM Youssouf affirmed that the Government of Djibouti was "ready to host it." He noted that Djibouti would be the ideal location for such a center, citing the presence already in Djibouti of international anti-piracy contingents from the European Union and other allies. (COMMENT. Due to the central economic role of its extensive port infrastructure-- including refueling facilities for transitting U.S. Navy vessels--Djibouti has economic, as well as political, incentives to combat Somali piracy, and will host an International Maritime Organization (IMO) conference on January 26, to examine legal instruments against piracy. Djibouti hosts more than 6,000 foreign troops, including not only French naval, air force, marine, army, and Foreign Legion bases, but also Camp Lemonier--the only U.S. military base in Africa, which serves as headquarters to 2,500 U.S. and coalition military personnel and contractors serving with AFRICOM's Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). Djibouti already serves as the headquarters for numerous anti-piracy coalition forces, including the EU's Operation Atalanta, Spanish and French P-3 maritime reconnaissance aircraft, frigates from the UK and Netherlands, and other allied naval forces participating in CTF-150. END COMMENT.) ¶3. (C) FM Youssouf's observations about Somalia--including TFG-ARS talks on political power-sharing to be held this week in Djibouti, as well as the option of having EASBRIG military forces deploy to Somalia in order to strengthen AMISOM--will be reported septel. ¶4. (C) Separately, French Ambassador Dominique deCherf reported to Ambassador that during consultations with France, the GODJ acknowledged that neighboring Yemen also seeks to host the Counter-Piracy Coordination Center (CPCC) (septel). Djibouti does not seek to campaign openly against Yemen, with which it has good relations, deCherf said, but rather hopes that the international community will "ask" Djibouti to host the CPCC. ¶5. (C) COMMENT. In view of the many counter-piracy activities already based out of Djibouti, it would seem to be a logical location and reliable partner for the planned Counter-Piracy Coordination Center. But, we recognize that here at post, we may not have a full understanding of the attributes the USG would like to see in the location of the CPCC. We would welcome further guidance as to how to react to the Djiboutian offer to host it. END COMMENT. SWAN