DJIBOUTI: LIKELY NOT SENDING CITES DELEGATION

UNCLAS DJIBOUTI 000121 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND OES/ENRC ADDIS ABABA FOR REGIONAL ENVIRONMENT OFFICER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV UNEP DJ SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI: LIKELY NOT SENDING CITES DELEGATION REF: 10 STATE 6668 ¶1. (U) EconOff discussed the upcoming Conference of the Parties (reftel) for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) with Director of the Environment Dini Omar Abdallah January 26. Abdallah explained that because Djibouti signed CITES before the creation of the Ministry of the Environment, primary responsibility for CITES remained with the Ministry of Agriculture. ¶2. (SBU) EconOff met February 1 with Ministry of Agriculture Director of Livestock Dr. Moussa Ahmed. Ahmed explained that general responsibility for protecting endangered species remained with the Ministry of the Environment, with his department in the Ministry of Agriculture responsible for certain areas such as issuing certificates of health required for export of all species. Ahmed said that Djibouti had not paid CITES dues for some time. The government would be inclined to begin paying dues again, he said, but was reluctant to pay large arrears. Partly because of this financial issue, Ahmed said, he was unaware of Djibouti sending any delegation to Qatar to take part in the May 15-25 Conference of the Parties. ¶3. (U) Post will provide reftel points to the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, and Environment, and follow up if it appears that Djibouti does decide to send a delegation to Qatar. SWAN