This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000381 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2014 
TAGS: MARR MOPS PGOV PREL PM PINR DJ
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI, JUST ANOTHER SATURDAY 
 
REF: DJIBOUTI 299 
 
Classified By: CONOFF CHASE BEAMER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) 
 
SUMMARY 
-------- 
 
¶1. (C) Emboff met Djiboutian Army Captain Abdullahi Youssouf 
for coffee on March 13.  The primary focus of the meeting was 
to gain insight into the status of recent Djiboutian military 
discontent (see reftel).  Conversation also touched on the 
railroad explosion in the late evening of March 12.  The 
consensus upon discussion of the topics was that the 
Djiboutian military pay problem was quieted for the moment 
but not resolved and that the railroad attacks were becoming 
increasingly embarrassing but remained largely a mystery. End 
Summary. 
 
MILITARY DISCONTENT 
------------------- 
 
¶2. (C) In a conversation on March 13 with Djiboutian Army 
Captain and Commander of the Djiboutian Demining program, 
Captain Abdullahi Youssouf, Emboff sought to get an update on 
the reported (see reftel) discontent amongst the rank and 
file military in the country's interior.  Youssouf confirmed 
that the military units in the districts of Dikhil, Obock, 
and Tadjoura had refused to accept their salaries on February 
28 due to a paycut from the Chief of Staff.  Youssouf 
commented that Djiboutian Chief of Staff General Fahti was 
forced into this decision by the Minister of Finance, Elmi 
Bouh, who continued to cut the resources made available to 
the Djiboutian military.  Youssouf noted that while 
intervention by senior military officers in the districts and 
with the Presidency had calmed nerves and resulted in a 
restoration of that month's salary cut no one had seen a 
budgetary restoration at the level of the Ministry of 
Finance.  Soldiers and officers alike were unsure how events 
would play out at the end of this month when the same crisis 
will arise. 
 
¶3. (C) When Emboff queried Youssouf on the possibility that 
the new "Civilian Corps" proposed by President Guelleh had 
placed undue financial strains on the military tasked with 
training them, Youssouf replied that this was not the case. 
Youssouf commented that the new project was funded 
independently.  He said the project is aimed at engaging some 
of Djibouti's unemployed and undereducated youth.  It will 
train 2,000 Djiboutian youth in basic vocational skills over 
the course of two years and then reinsert them into the 
Djiboutian economy.  The military is charged with the initial 
"formation" of the pilot group of 500 youth in order to 
instill "discipline", according to Youssouf.  After their 
basic training course with the military the youth will be 
assigned to one of any number of Djiboutian public 
institutions from the Telecom to his own military engineering 
unit in order to gain a trade or skill.  During the two year 
apprenticeship the government has committed to feeding the 
youth and paying them a 10,000 DF (approx. $60 U.S.) per 
month stipend. 
 
RAILROAD EXPLOSION 
------------------ 
 
¶4. (C) The latest in what has become regular bombings of the 
Djibouti-Ethiopia railway occurred in the late evening of 
March 12.  The detonation took place in Djibouti city not far 
from where the railroad passes behind the French Military 
Hospital.  The charge was placed on the track itself and 
detonated only three minutes after the passing of the train 
according to sources.  USLO chief received reports that a 
piece of the steel rail landed near a convenience store 
several hundred meters from the detonation, implying a degree 
of professionalism in the placement of the charge.  No one 
was injured in the blast.  Captain Youssouf commented that 
since the Djiboutian authorities had taken extra precautions 
to protect the train itself from attack the "terrorists" were 
clearly now expanding their sabotage efforts to the rail. 
(Comment: Mission officers have not noted the "extra 
precautions" to which Youssouf refers. End Comment)  He said 
that he was under significant pressure from above to respond 
to such incidents but was uncomfortable with the degree of 
training his deminers had to handle such ordinance.  His 
sense was that the more "embarrassed" Djiboutian leadership 
became over their inability to solve the 
intelligence/investigative riddle these ongoing bombings 
posed, the more pressure he and his mid-tier colleagues would 
continue to feel.  Hypotheses for motive range from 
disgruntled ethnic Oromos expelled in the Government's latest 
immigration policy to Ethiopian Government complicity to 
support their trucking industry.  In any scenario, Mission 
security personnel do not feel this issue impacts directly on 
U.S. interests. 
BIO 
--- 
 
¶5. (C) Captain Youssouf is an impressive up and comer in the 
Djiboutian Armed Forces.  He was the driving force behind the 
successful completion of Djibouti's demining campaign and 
their declaration of "mine safe" status.  He is 34 years old 
and married with two children. His Father was Afar and his 
mother Issa.  He speaks Somali, some Afar, French, and good 
English.  He is close to and well respected by General 
Zakaria, the Djiboutian Military number 2.  He recently 
returned from a tour of duty at Centcom's Coalition City in 
Tampa, Florida. 

COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶6. (C) Budgetary differences between Finance Minister Bouh 
and former Police Chief Yacin Yalah Galab were at the heart 
of the 2001 "Coup d'Etat."  It will be interesting to watch 
events unfold as we approach pay day at the end of this 
month. 
 
¶7. (C) The saga of the Djibouti-Ethiopia railway continues in 
relatively benign fashion.  The most significant disruptive 
impact of the bombings is the interruption of vegetable 
imports from Ethiopia which directly affects the average 
Djiboutian consumer.  When the train is delayed or unable to 
transport vegetables the volume of vegetables arriving in the 
city decreases dramatically which drives up prices. 
Interestingly, it also diverts the remaining volume of 
vegetables that arrive to truck traffic.  Hence the rumors 
that truck owners may have an interest in disrupted rail 
service.  End Comment. 
RAGSDALE