DJIBOUTI/FRANCE - Public Spat over GOF Reliability as Ally

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DJIBOUTI 000203

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/22
TAGS: PREL PINS MASS PBTS DJ ER FR
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI/FRANCE - Public Spat over GOF Reliability as Ally

REF: 10 DJIBOUTI 125

CLASSIFIED BY: James Swan, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)

1.(C/NF) Summary: A Djiboutian Foreign Ministry publication has
accused France of "playing an extremely negative role detrimental
to the vital interests of the Republic of Djibouti" in regard to
its border dispute with Eritrea. The French Embassy issued a
two-page letter to rebut this charge, and planned to convoke the
Djiboutian Ambassador in Paris over the matter. Djiboutian
officials have long privately grumbled at what they see as weak
French military and diplomatic efforts on behalf of the GODJ
against Eritrea. But this public criticism of the former colonial
power is highly unusual and underscores the depth of Djiboutian
feelings on this issue. End summary.



MFA Publication Lauds U.S., Blasts France

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2.(U) In mid-February, the Djiboutian MFA distributed a 79-page
Foreign Ministry Publication, dated December 2009 and entitled
"Sovereignty of Djibouti over Ras Doumeira and the Island of
Doumeira: Well-Founded Facts." Available in Arabic, English, and
French, the booklet is mostly a straightforward recounting of the
chronology of the military situation and diplomatic efforts related
to the Eritrea's military incursion at the Djibouti/Eritrea border
at Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island. The publication includes
aerial photographs of the area, as well as basic background
documents, including copies of the original French and Ethiopian
boundary agreements, relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, etc.



3.(U) The final pages of the publication, however, include a
section entitled "Support to the Republic of Djibouti." After
commenting on solidarity with Djibouti from other regional and
African states, the MFA booklet includes three paragraphs about the
U.S. and France, as follows:



"We would miss the basic rules of recognition if we overlook the
positive and constructive role played by the United States of
America during the different phases of this painful crisis, which
is still ongoing. As such, the Government and people of Djibouti
are immensely grateful to the United States.



"For the record, and given the duty to inform the people of
Djibouti and international public opinion, it is important for us
to affirm powerfully and persuasively that France has, since the
beginning of this crisis, played an extremely negative role
detrimental to the vital interests of the Republic of Djibouti in
Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island.



"This unintelligible attitude of France, historical ally and
allegedly unwavering supporter of the Republic of Djibouti in such
circumstances, has profoundly disappointed the government and
people of Djibouti and risks to permanently affect the common
interests of the two countries."



French Embassy Responds, Asks for Retraction

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4.(SBU) In a February 18 diplomatic note to the MFA, copied to all
missions in Djibouti, the French Embassy fired back, noting its
support for Djibouti in a variety of ways, including:



-aerial surveillance and intelligence-sharing on the

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Djibouti/Eritrea border;

-provision of historical records from the French archives
documenting boundary lines;

-convocation of the Eritrean Ambassador in France on 25 April 2008;

-a visit to the border by the French Forces Commander in Djibouti
on 14 May 2008;

-a visit to the border by General Puga, French Chief of Operations
on 1 June 2008;

-deployment of French forces to the border area as of 14 June 2008
(note: this is after the clash between Djibouti and Eritrea on 10
June 2008);

-medical support for Djiboutian military evacuees following the
Djibouti/Eritrea clash of 10 June 2008;

-diplomatic support, including French votes for UNSCRs 1862 and
1907; and

-a reminder by visiting French President Sarkozy on 19 January 2010
that France had condemned the Eritrean aggression at Doumeira (see
also Ref A regarding the Sarkozy visit).



5.(SBU) The French diplomatic note concludes with a request that
the MFA make the "necessary corrections" to the record, and
"regrets that the positions and actions of France have not been
correctly reflected or recognized as they should be in the document
published by the Djiboutian government."



Djiboutian Publication was Minister-Level Decision

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6.(C/NF) Asked privately about the exchange, French Ambassador
Dominique Decherf told Ambassador 18 February that the French had
been aware of the planned publication since late December. Decherf
said the offending passages had been written at a time when the
Djiboutians were particularly irked over what they saw as GOF
foot-dragging on adoption of a UNSCR to sanction Eritrea
(eventually, UNSCR 1907). The French thought this matter had been
resolved following their vote in favor of the resolution, and
President's Sarkozy's discussion with Djiboutian President Ismail
Omar Guelleh and public statements of French support for the UNSCR.
Decherf said Djiboutian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf had
explained subsequent publication of the booklet with the poor
excuse that it had already been printed and the GODJ wanted to
ensure its position on the border dispute received wide play.
Youssouf defended this decision in an hour-long telephone
conversation with Decherf after the booklet was distributed,
according to the French Ambassador.



French MFA to Convoke Djiboutian Ambassador in Paris

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7.(C/NF) Decherf said this matter had received sufficient
attention in Paris that the Foreign Ministry would convoke
Djiboutian Ambassador Rachad Farah to register its displeasure with
the content of the booklet.



Comment

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8.(C/NF) The MFA publication merely reveals publicly what
Djiboutian officials have been saying privately almost since the
start of the border dispute with Eritrea: that the GOF military
responded only after the fighting had stopped and that French
diplomacy delayed and at various times weakened Security Council
action. It is highly unusual that the Djiboutians were so open in
their criticism of the French, but this reflects the GODJ's very
real disappointment over the performance of their closest
historical ally on a central national security issue for Djibouti.
SWAN