VZCZCXRO4637
RR RUEHDE RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #1393/01 3471250
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 131250Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1126
INFO IGAD COLLECTIVE
SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/CJTF HOA FWD
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0022

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DJIBOUTI 001393 
 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF AND AF/E 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 2019/12/13 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KPAO EAID DJ ER SO
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI: DAS WYCOFF DISCUSSES ERITREA, SOMALIA, AND 
DJIBOUTI POLITICS WITH PRIME MINISTER 
 
REF: 09 DJIBOUTI 1191 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: J. Swan, Ambassador; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) 
 
¶1.  (C) SUMMARY.  During a December 9 courtesy call, visiting AF 
DAS Karl Wycoff and Ambassador discussed the strong U.S.-Djibouti 
relationship, Eritrea's regional spoiler role, and the opening of 
political space in Djibouti with Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed 
Dileita.  Dileita and DAS Wycoff both highlighted the range of 
bilateral cooperation, emphasizing U.S.-Djibouti partnership on 
both development and security issues.  DAS Wycoff expressed strong 
USG support for a tough U.N. sanctions resolution on Eritrea, while 
Dileita criticized third countries-notably Qatar and Libya-for 
unhelpfully encouraging Eritrea in its spoiler role.  On domestic 
issues, Dileita said that the GODJ welcomed talk of a possible new 
opposition candidate for 2011 presidential elections, and said that 
the GODJ was discussing ways to allow opposition parties access to 
state-run media, even prior to the campaign period.  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
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STRONG PARTNERSHIP ON SECURITY, DEVELOPMENT 
 
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¶2. (C) DAS Wycoff told Dileita that he had come to Djibouti both to 
highlight the strong U.S.-Djibouti bilateral partnership, and to 
listen to other U.S. partners in the Horn of Africa at the December 
7-8 Djibouti-hosted Intergovernmental Authority on Development 
(IGAD) ministerial meeting.  Dileita emphasized that Djibouti's 
"very amicable" relationship with the U.S. was based not just on 
security issues or the presence of U.S. forces at Djibouti's Camp 
Lemmonier, but also on substantial development cooperation.  The 
GODJ, he underlined, appreciated current close consultations, and 
would continue working with the USG on a variety of issues. 
 
 
 
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ERITREA AND ERITREA IN SOMALIA 
 
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¶3. (C) Dileita told DAS Wycoff that Djibouti-in addition to 
occupying a key "geostrategic" position on the map- also continued 
to play an important role in hosting discussions on regional peace 
and security, such as through the Djibouti Process.  DAS Wycoff 
said that the U.S. remained very concerned over Eritrea's 
"unhelpful" regional role, including its support for al-Shabaab in 
Somalia and its incursion across the border with Djibouti.  DAS 
Wycoff assured Dileita that senior U.S. officials-including 
Ambassador Rice and A/S Carson-were closely following and 
supporting the draft UNSC resolution on sanctions against Eritrea. 
The U.S. firmly agreed with Djibouti's position that the resolution 
needed to address both Eritrea's interference in Somalia, and 
Eritrean behavior vis-a-vis the border dispute with Djibouti. 
 
 
 
¶4. (C) Dileita agreed with DAS Wycoff that although a UNSC 
resolution would not immediately solve the region's Eritrea-related 
problems, it was nevertheless important to pass a resolution that 
could serve as a foundation for further action.  Prime Minister 
Dileita said Isaias' recent attempts to block the resolution were 
further proof that Isaias would feel its impact, and therefore, 
that it was important and worthwhile to pass it.  Isaias' message 
to the international community is clear, Dileita said: if the 
international community wants me to solve the Djibouti problem, the 
international community has to force Ethiopia to address border 
issues with Eritrea.  Before the Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute, 
Dileita told DAS Wycoff and Ambassador, Djibouti had previously 
been one of the only countries in the region with a good 
relationship with Asmara.  Eritrea was clearly using Djibouti to 
link that border dispute to the question of Badme, he said. 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001393  002 OF 003 
 
 
¶5. (C) Unlike Djibouti, Kenya, or Ethiopia, Dilieta said, Eritrea 
did not share linguistic, cultural, or ethnic heritage with 
Somalia; Eritrean interference in Somalia amounted to a proxy war. 
The war in Somalia, Dileita told DAS Wycoff, had before always been 
about tribes, clans, and factions-but now it had become a "jihad" 
with people from outside of Somalia trying to impose an Islamic 
state.  As Eritrea itself does not have the means to interfere in 
Somalia, Dileita said, there must be other countries "pushing" and 
funding Eritrean involvement, such as Qatar and Libya.  Dileita 
criticized such actors' "political games," which had the effect of 
destabilizing "poor countries like Djibouti." 
 
 
 
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GOOD GOVERNANCE AT HOME: WELCOMING 
 
ADDITIONAL PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES? 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
 
 
¶6. (C) DAS Wycoff said that the Obama administration continued to 
emphasize the primacy of working with our partners on issues of 
good governance, democracy, and transparency.  A primary U.S. 
objective in the Horn of Africa, DAS Wycoff stressed, is the 
stability of the region.  Counterterrorism, he explained, is linked 
to the greater goal of stability, and supports it.  DAS Wycoff told 
Dileita that in tandem with the USG's "very important" concern for 
ongoing stability in Djibouti, the U.S. was ready to accompany the 
GODJ's own efforts to develop socially and economically, for 
example by creating "space for opposition." 
 
 
 
¶7. (C) Dileita said that he appreciated the Ambassador's 
significant efforts to facilitate dialogue on issues of good 
governance, democracy, and transparency in Djibouti.  He praised a 
recent Embassy event (reftel) which "for the first time" brought 
together members of ruling coalition and opposition parties to 
participate in a seminar on proportional representation.  "I 
support these initiatives," Dileita said, because they prevent 
democracy from "stagnating."  He said that he had discussed with 
President Guelleh the idea of allowing opposition parties access to 
state-run media, even prior to the campaign period, during which 
such access is legally required, and that the GODJ planned to "go 
in this direction."  He also said that he had not been opposed to 
the recent publication of a newsletter by a ruling coalition 
partner party, and would be open to other parties establishing 
newspapers.  (NOTE.  The PND (National Democratic Party), a member 
of President Guelleh's five-party ruling coalition, published an 
eight-page "Party Congress Special Edition" of their periodic 
newsletter "The Republic" on November 26.  Inter alia, the 
newsletter announced that the PND party congress, to be held 
December 13, would feature discussions of the party's position on a 
possible constitutional amendment to allow President Guelleh to run 
for a third term in 2011, as well as a determination of whether to 
present PND President Aden Robleh Awaleh as a candidate.  END 
NOTE.)  Dileita said that the GODJ was "encouraging" the possible 
PND candidacy, and would welcome other presidential candidates. 
 
 
 
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COMMENT 
 
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¶8. (C) The stalemated Eritrea-Djibouti border dispute remains a 
central GODJ priority, and as Djiboutian leadership becomes 
increasingly frustrated with continued Eritrean intransigence, U.S. 
efforts to support Djibouti in the UNSC are recognized and 
appreciated.  Domestically, Djibouti's recent history of opposition 
election boycotts and single-candidate races likely informs the 
ruling party's thinking on the desirability of additional 
 
DJIBOUTI 00001393  003 OF 003 
 
 
candidates for presidential elections in 2011.  While President 
Guelleh's supporters are widely expected to request a 
constitutional amendment allowing him to run for a third term in 
office, key players-including the Prime Minister and the President 
himself-may be inclined to see additional candidates, and 
especially additional candidates from historically relatively loyal 
coalition partners, as potential contributors to the overall 
legitimacy of 2011 elections.  END COMMENT. 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) DAS Wycoff cleared this cable. 
SWAN