VZCZCXRO2416
RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #0953/01 3351345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301345Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9760
INFO RUCNSOM/SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DJIBOUTI 000953 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, AF/PD, AND INR/AA 
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
AFRICOM AND CJTF-HOA FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO KMDR PREL PGOV DJ XA
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI -- DAILY SUMMARY OF DJIBOUTI PRESS 11/30/08 
 
REF: STATE 120090 
 
INDEX 
 
¶1. Djibouti delegation holds talks with President Rayaale, cabinet 
ministers (Turkish Weekly) 
 
¶2.  Urban farmers exporting fruit, vegetable to Djibouti (Walta 
Information Center, Ethiopia) 
 
¶3. Yemen, Djibouti discuss coordinating efforts to combat piracy 
(Yemen News Agency) 
 
¶4.  Yemeni-Djibouti presidential talks (Yemen News Agency) 
 
Articles: 
Djibouti delegation holds talks with President Rayaale, cabinet 
ministers 
Journal of Turkish Weekly - Ankara, Turkey 
Friday, 28 November 2008 
 
HARGEISA, Somaliland -A delegation from Djibouti has promised to 
give extra consideration towards recognizing Somaliland as a nation 
state. 
 
Mr. Hashi Abdilahi, special advisor to President Ismail Omar 
Guelleh, said: "After the terrorist attacks [in Somaliland] we will 
think of what they can do about unstable Somalia, which they have 
spent time and energy on dealing with for so long, but is still 
suffering without a stable and committed government." 
 
The advisor, who was part of the delegation that spent two days in 
Hargeisa, added: "We will definitely work closely with Somaliland no 
matter what other Somalis will feel, but I am not going to say 
things in advance; you Somalilanders must wait, bearing in mind that 
we [Djibouti] are considering the case for independence." 
 
The delegation was led by the finance minister of Djibouti Minister, 
Ali Farah Asowe. He gave an exclusive interview with the SSI and 
mentioned that the main aim of their trip was opening the third 
largest French private bank, which will be coming to Hargeisa in 
January 2009. 
He also briefly talked about how the high prices of food and oil 
affected their preparations for next year's budget. 
 
He said: "It slowed down the usual thinking of the preparations, but 
we have all the funds from the IMF, the World Bank, the AU, the EU, 
and so on. I think Somaliland, which is not getting such assistance, 
and also had the disaster of the terror attacks, should be a role 
model to the Djibouti government and its people who lost their will 
towards doing things for themselves and instead wait for 
international community's assistance." 
 
The minister of finance of Somaliland, Ambassador. Awil Ali Duale, 
who organized the visit, said: "We are from Africa, specifically the 
Horn, and we welcome all our neighbours." 
 
The Somaliland delegation will go to Djibouti on December 7 to open 
trade offices in both countries and the bank will come soon after 
that meeting. 
 
The President of Somaliland Dahir Rayaale Kahin held talks on the 
last day of the delegation's visit and thanked them for offering 
their sympathy on Somaliland's black day. 
 
He also thanked them for all the other support they had given and 
said he hoped the countries would continue to co-operate. 
 
 
Urban farmers exporting fruit, vegetable to Djibouti 
Walta Information Center, Ethiopia - 23 hours ago 
Saturday, 29 November 2008 
 
Dire Dawa, November 29 (WIC) - Farmers engaged in urban farming in 
Dired Dawa town said that they are earning income by exporting 
various vegetable and fruits to Djibouti. 
The farmers told WIC that they are improving their livelihood as 
they are getting a considerable sum of money by supplying to the 
local market and exporting high market value fruit and vegetable 
varieties to Djibouti. 
Some of the urban farmers developing tomato, onion, green pepper, 
orange, papaya and mandarin using deep water wells around Boro area 
commented that they are getting good results in urban farming 
activities. 
Experts of the town's administration agriculture office are 
providing professional assistance to the urban farmers. 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000953  002 OF 002 
 
 
Agriculture extension team leader with the office, Ayalew Merid also 
said encouraging results have been witnessed in urban farming as the 
office has given considerable focus to the sector. 
Some 23 individuals and seven associations are currently engaged in 
fruit, vegetable development, animal husbandry and other forms of 
urban farming around Dire Dawa town, the team leader indicated. 
The office has designed short, medium and long term plans aimed at 
fully ensuring food security in the area, Ayalew said. 
 
 
Yemen, Djibouti discuss coordinating efforts to combat piracy 
Yemen News Agency, Yemen - 
29 November 2008 
 
ADEN, Nov. 29 (Saba) - Yemen and Djibouti discussed here on Saturday 
the necessity to coordinate both countries' efforts in cooperation 
with the international endeavors to combat piracy and secure the 
international navigation in the region. 
 
Deputy Premier for Defense and Security affairs Rashad al-Alimi held 
talks with Foreign Minister of Djiboutian Mahmoud Ali Yousef over 
the situation in Somali and Horn of Africa in addition to piracy 
acts in the Red Sea. 
 
The meeting also reviewed the latest developments in the regional 
and international areas as well as bilateral relations between the 
two countries. 
 
 
Yemeni- Djibouti presidential talks 
Yemen News Agency, Yemen 
 
ADEN, Nov. 29 (Saba) - President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Djibouti's 
President Ismail Omer Guelleh held talks on Saturday at the 22nd May 
Palace in Aden province that stressed the importance of boosting the 
bilateral relationship. 
 
The two presidents also discussed the regional latest developments 
topped by the situation in the African Horn. 
 
They affirmed the importance of well-joint coordination to bring 
stability and security to Somalia to help Somalis reorganize the 
country's institutions. 
 
Furthermore, the two presidents discussed the issue of piracy which 
has recently been active as pirates stepped up attacks on vessels in 
the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia's coast as well as ways to put 
along with international efforts an end to a phenomenon threatening 
one of the world's most important waterways. 
 
The two leaders, however, held closed talks to discuss issues of 
mutual concern and to exchange viewpoints over the regional and 
international developments. 
 
 
SWAN