VZCZCXRO5478
RR RUEHROV RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDJ #0193/01 0481007
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 171007Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DJIBOUTI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1423
INFO SOMALIA COLLECTIVE
RUEHYN/AMEMBASSY SANAA 0071

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 11 DJIBOUTI 000193 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E, AF/RSA, G/TIP, INL, PRM/AFR, DRL, AND G FOR L. PENA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KTIP SMIG PREF PHUM KWMN ASEC KFRD ELAB KMCA DJ
SO, ET, YM 
SUBJECT: DJIBOUTI: 2010 TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS SUBMISSION 
 
REF: 10 STATE 2094; 09 DJIBOUTI 119; 09 DJIBOUTI 327 
09 DJIBOUTI 1053; 09 DJIBOUTI 1155; 09 DJIBOUTI 1303 
09 DJIBOUTI 1367; 10 DJIBOUTI 72 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY.  This message contains Embassy Djibouti's 2010 
trafficking in persons (TIP) submission.  Responses are keyed to 
ref A numbering and lettering.  Since the late 2007 passage of 
Djibouti's comprehensive anti-TIP law, awareness and 
acknowledgement of TIP as an important challenge continues to grow 
among GODJ officials at all levels (ref E).  Addressing migrant 
smuggling, refugee flows, and illegal immigration remains a 
priority for the GODJ.  In an indication of TIP's importance at the 
national level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently raised TIP 
as an agenda item during November 2009 bilateral talks with 
Ethiopia.  The GODJ's decision to invite IOM to set up a Djibouti 
branch office--which opened in May 2009--also reflects senior GODJ 
commitment to addressing TIP and better managing other migration 
challenges.  The Ministries of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, 
and Women Promotion are involved in combating TIP in Djibouti.  The 
police (under the Ministry of the Interior) maintain a special 
brigade aimed at countering illegal migrant flows, as well as a 
"Vice Squad" charged with combating all forms of prostitution. 
Resource constraints severely limit the government's ability to 
address TIP in practice.  Very few international or domestic NGOs 
are active in TIP-related areas in Djibouti, and the few that do 
exist are too often small, understaffed, and underfunded.  The GODJ 
has consistently welcomed and sought out partnerships with 
international donors, including the USG, to help fight TIP (refs E, 
F).  END SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
------------------------------------------- 
 
THE TIP SITUATION IN DJIBOUTI 
 
------------------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 25: 
 
 
 
--A: To gather information on TIP in Djibouti, EmbOffs meet 
regularly with GODJ officials at all levels within the Ministry of 
Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, police, 
and other relevant agencies.  In addition, the Embassy maintains 
contact with UN and other international agencies (notably UNICEF, 
UNHCR, and IOM), local lawyers, and the few available local and 
international NGOS to gather and share information about TIP and 
related issues.  In general, most sources are helpful and candid. 
However, the almost total lack of verifiable data on the TIP 
situation in Djibouti makes it difficult to confirm the reliability 
of what are--by default--often generalized and anecdotal 
observations on the scope of the problem.  Contacts throughout the 
GODJ and NGO sectors unanimously agree that all stakeholders would 
benefit from better information (ref F).  The almost total lack of 
reliable statistics is a particular problem, but wider and better 
qualitative information is also needed.  An upcoming IOM migrant 
profiling exercise (funded by the U.K.)--as well as proposed 
USG-funded IOM programming on victim protection--have the potential 
to begin closing this acute information gap.  In addition, UNHCR 
has a project underway to create a database with information on sex 
workers in Djibouti.  GODJ officials are generally open to sharing 
statistics with the USG, and often agree to collate and provide 
statistics on topics such as TIP prosecutions.  However, such 
officials' ability to follow through on these promises is hampered 
by overall lack of capacity within ministries, as well as by a 
systematic failure to keep comprehensive data on basic government 
functions.  (COMMENT.  Even very basic data are often unobtainable 
in Djibouti.  For example, all population figures in Djibouti are 
essentially estimates.  A new census--the first in almost thirty 
years--was completed in 2009, but the results are still being 
analyzed.  END COMMENT). 
 
 
 
--B/C; VOLUNTARY MIGRANTS: Djibouti is primarily a transit 
destination for large numbers of voluntary economic migrants from 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  002 OF 011 
 
 
Somalia, Ethiopia, and other countries in the region.  These 
migrants aim to use Djibouti as a stopping-off point in their 
journey to Yemen and on to the labor markets of the Gulf and 
further afield.  Djibouti's primary draw is its proximity to Yemen, 
especially from launching points in the north of the country, some 
of which are separated from Yemen by as little as 30km of water. 
GODJ officials and other sources report that these migrants are 
primarily from Ethiopia and Somalia.  IOM indicates that some 
Somalis may consider the Obock-Yemen passage to be safer and easier 
than the longer journey from Bossasso, Puntland.  Some Ethiopians 
reportedly come to Djibouti to seek work and save money for an 
onward journey, while other nationalities are more likely to use 
Djibouti solely as a quick transit destination.  There is no 
authoritative data to confirm the actual composition of the migrant 
flow through Djibouti, but many observers suggest that 
Ethiopians--including Oromos, Afars, and Ogadenis--make up an 
important majority.  Smugglers reportedly charge each migrant up to 
100 USD for the passage from Djibouti to Yemen.  Yemen-bound 
migrant flows from the northern jump-off point of Obock appear to 
fluctuate according to sea conditions, push factors, and ROYG 
enforcement efforts.  While there are no verified migrant counts, 
regional officials have reported that anywhere between 100 migrants 
a week to 1000 migrants a day depart from Obock.  Most recent 
conversations with such officials indicate that after a 
high-traffic period during September 2009 (the month of Ramadan), 
flows began to drop off as Yemeni authorities stepped up their 
enforcement efforts.  The boats used for transport are often 
fundamentally unsafe and overcrowded.  Shipwrecks and other 
accidents are a constant danger, and multiple sources reported that 
common practice is for smugglers to force migrants to swim the last 
portion of the journey.  Some smugglers also reportedly mislead 
migrants by promising to take them to Yemen, but instead re-deposit 
them at another location on the Djibouti coast.  GODJ officials 
often recover the bodies of migrants who die during the passage, 
and EmbOffs saw one such cadaver--and many fresh graves--during an 
October 2009 site visit to Obock.  Even after seeing and sometimes 
helping to bury such drowning victims, migrants reportedly 
routinely choose to risk the passage themselves (ref F).  All 
sources agree that migrants were almost exclusively adults, ranging 
in age from 17 to 30, with the bulk of individuals aged between 20 
and 25.  There are occasional reports of migrants younger than 16, 
often accompanied by family members.  All interdicted migrants are 
deported to their countries of origin, although many reportedly 
return to Djibouti quickly, sometimes up to ten times, to attempt 
the onward voyage again.  They are motivated to return in part by 
inability to pay back debts at home incurred to finance the voyage. 
In practice, however, the GODJ's limited resources mean that only a 
very small proportion of transit migrants are ever intercepted and 
returned to their countries of origin. 
 
 
 
--B/C CONTINUED; VOLUNTARY MIGRANTS WHO BECOME TIP VICTIMS: Some 
voluntary economic migrants may fall victim to involuntary labor 
and/or sexual exploitation upon reaching the Djibouti-Ethiopia 
trucking corridor or Djibouti City, and/or upon arrival in Yemen or 
other end destinations.  However, no specific reports on incidents 
of this kind were available.  Both GODJ and NGO sources concur that 
while there is well-organized smuggling of voluntary migrants to 
and through Djibouti, there is no/no evidence of organized 
trafficking of victims to Djibouti for the purposes of labor, 
commercial sex, or other forms of exploitation.  Rather, voluntary 
migrants may occasionally fall victim to trafficking situations 
after their arrival in Djibouti.  For example, migrants who seek 
work in Djibouti to earn money for an onward passage may sometimes 
become TIP victims when they enter voluntarily into domestic 
service or prostitution, but are subsequently denied pay, ability 
to leave, or otherwise cease to become voluntary employees.  There 
is no/no information on the numbers of voluntary migrants who may 
eventually become TIP victims in this manner.  No statistics exist, 
and even anecdotal evidence of individual cases is difficult to 
obtain. 
 
 
 
--B/C CONTINUED; DJIBOUTIANS OR DJIBOUTIAN RESIDENTS WHO BECOME TIP 
VICTIMS: There were also ongoing reports of child prostitution in 
Djibouti City during the reporting period.  According to multiple 
sources, street children (who are often not/not of Djiboutian 
nationality) are at highest risk for falling into prostitution. 
Also according to multiple sources, much child prostitution occurs 
either without a pimp, or with older street children acting as 
pimps for younger street children.  In the area of adult 
prostitution--contrary to longstanding public perceptions--there is 
growing understanding among both GODJ and NGO contacts that many of 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  003 OF 011 
 
 
Djibouti's prostitutes are not foreigners, but women of Djiboutian 
nationality.  Some of these women may be pushed into prostitution 
by their families; however, there is no/no information to confirm 
the existence or extent of this phenomenon.  Some domestic 
servants, including refugees or the children of refugees, may also 
become TIP victims.  Likewise, there is also no reliable 
information confirming the scope of this problem. 
 
 
 
--D; VOLUNTARY ECONOMIC MIGRANTS: Voluntary economic migrants 
arriving without means, family connections, local language skills, 
or legal status are more vulnerable to becoming TIP victims when 
they seek employment in the informal sector. 
 
 
 
--D CONTINUED; STREET CHILDREN: Street children are also at 
particular risk for falling into prostitution or other forms of 
exploitation.  According to both GODJ and NGO sources, sometimes 
children come to Djibouti alone after being orphaned or rejected by 
their families, and end up living in the streets.  Other street 
children are the children of economic migrants who were abandoned 
in Djibouti City when their parents either died, became too sick or 
impoverished to care for them, or traveled onwards or back home 
without them.  Sources reported that almost all street children are 
Ethiopian or Somali.  Many street children become addicted to 
sniffing glue, which can be purchased inexpensively.  According to 
NGO and GODJ sources, some street children turn to prostitution to 
support themselves, and this type of prostitution often occurs when 
older street children exploit and pimp out younger street children. 
Several sources reported that street children are also often 
involved in other forms of crime, including theft and vandalism. 
NGO contacts have also previously reported that street children 
were often afraid of the police and feared police mistreatment. 
 
 
 
--D CONTINUED; REFUGEES AND IMPOVERISHED DJIBOUTIAN GIRLS: 
Impoverished Djiboutian girls, as well as the female children of 
refugees residing in Djibouti, are also at greater risk for being 
pushed into prostitution or exploited in domestic service. 
 
 
 
--E; TRAFFICKERS:  Just as there is very little information on how 
many and what kinds of TIP victims exist in Djibouti, there is also 
very little information about traffickers and their methods. 
 
 
 
--E CONTINUED; MIGRANT SMUGGLERS: Information on migrant smugglers 
is more available.  According to several sources, migrant smugglers 
offering passage between Djibouti and Yemen are primarily Yemeni. 
Djiboutian nationals also are involved in smuggling, but tend to 
concentrate on guiding migrants through the land-based portion of 
the journey, ending their involvement at the Djibouti coastline. 
Local officials have told EmbOffs that young Obock residents are 
lured into the smuggling business by the prospect of earning up to 
20,000 DJF (113 USD) a week.  Other employment opportunities in 
Obock are extremely limited to nonexistent.  Local officials report 
that some 30-40 local youths have been sentenced to prison for 
involvement in migrant smuggling.   Other Djiboutian nationals may 
be involved in transporting migrants or in offering temporary 
lodging in Djibouti City.  Drivers reportedly charge about 2000 
Djiboutian francs (approximately USD 11) to transport potential 
migrants from Djibouti City and points south to northern 
embarkation points.  According to the GODJ State Prosecutor 
General, some drivers are solely transporting migrants, and if 
caught, are easy to prosecute.  On the other hand, some drivers on 
regular transport routes occasionally pick up migrants.  It is 
harder to prove that these drivers intended to assist in 
transporting migrants.  Other Djiboutians--particularly widows and 
divorced women of modest means--offer informal lodging and food to 
migrants in Djibouti City, charging 200 Djiboutian francs 
(approximately 1 USD) per night.  Different neighborhoods are 
frequented by different ethnic groups.  Most migrants spend only 
one or two nights before traveling onward. 
 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
DJIBOUTI'S ANTI-TIP EFFORTS 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  004 OF 011 
 
 
---------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 26: 
 
 
 
--A: Since the late 2007 passage of Djibouti's comprehensive 
anti-TIP law, awareness and acknowledgement of TIP as an important 
challenge continues to grow among GODJ officials at all levels (ref 
E).  Addressing migrant smuggling, refugee flows, and illegal 
immigration remains a priority for the GODJ.  Yet despite this 
litany of related challenges, many officials demonstrate nuanced 
understanding of the distinction between TIP and migrant smuggling. 
One top Ministry of Justice official recently told EmbOffs that he 
hoped TIP discussions in Djibouti would continue to move away from 
the related topics of migrant smuggling and immigration, and toward 
a more targeted focus on the likely very small number of actual TIP 
victims (ref F).  In an indication of TIP's importance at the 
national level, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently raised TIP 
as an agenda item during November 2009 bilateral talks with 
Ethiopia.  The GODJ's decision to invite IOM to set up a Djibouti 
branch office--which opened in May 2009--also reflects senior GODJ 
commitment to addressing TIP and better managing other migration 
challenges. 
 
 
 
--B: The Ministries of Justice, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and 
Women Promotion are involved in combating TIP in Djibouti.  The 
police (under the Ministry of the Interior) maintain a special 
brigade aimed at countering illegal migrant flows, as well as a 
"Vice Squad" charged with combating all forms of prostitution.  The 
Ministry of Justice took the lead in drafting the 2007 anti-TIP 
law, and used this law and other statutes to prosecute migrant 
smugglers during the reporting period.  The Ministry for the 
Promotion of Women is involved in protecting vulnerable children 
and orphans.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes the lead in 
addressing TIP at the regional level, notably in bilateral talks 
with Ethiopia. 
 
 
 
--C. Resource constraints severely limit the government's ability 
to address TIP in practice.  An overall meager budget for social 
services must also address urgent competing priorities such as high 
child malnutrition rates, widespread extreme urban poverty, and 
sixty percent unemployment.  In addition, the burden of 
interdicting, transporting, caring for, and deporting a growing 
flow of illegal migrants greatly strains regional and national 
budgets.  Very few international or domestic NGOs are active in 
TIP-related areas in Djibouti, and the few that do exist are too 
often small, understaffed, and underfunded.  This means that the 
GODJ has few opportunities to augment overextended governmental 
resources through NGO partnerships.  The GODJ has consistently 
welcomed and sought out partnerships with international donors, 
including the USG, to help fight TIP (refs E, F). 
 
 
 
--D:  The GODJ's police Vice Squad publishes yearly statistics on 
child prostitution.  (NOTE. At time of submission, detailed updated 
statistics for the reporting period were not available.  In a 
report published in July 2009, police recorded 201 apprehensions of 
suspected prostitutes.  Of this number,  51 were between the ages 
of 10 and 18.  END NOTE.)  Other occasional police publications 
include related statistics on trafficking, smuggling, and illegal 
immigration. 
 
 
 
--E:  The GODJ has consistently encouraged early registration of 
all births.  Responsibility for the issuance of civil documents 
such as birth certificates has been transferred from the central 
government to locally-elected Regional Councils.  In 2009, UNHCR 
and the GODJ's refugee agency ONARS (National Office for Refugees 
and Disaster Stricken People) completed a census of refugees at the 
Ali Adde camp in southern Djibouti, and distributed identification 
cards to adult refugees. 
 
 
 
--F: Collection, analysis, and publication of statistical data 
remain crucial structural weaknesses in almost every GODJ ministry. 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  005 OF 011 
 
 
Often, few resources can be devoted to statistical units, and staff 
lack training in managing statistical data.  While the police do 
publish regular statistics on crime trends (including treatment of 
topics such as TIP, smuggling, and illegal migration), such 
information is quite basic (i.e. without additional breakdowns or 
details), and is often published long after the time period 
covered.  Judicial record-keeping is rudimentary.  Useful and 
timely data on any prosecutions, not just TIP prosecutions, are 
very difficult to obtain.  (COMMENT. GODJ officials--particularly 
in the justice system--would likely welcome capacity-building 
training from international partners on gathering, managing, and 
analyzing statistics.  END COMMENT). 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 27: 
 
 
 
--A: On December 27, 2007, President Guelleh signed a comprehensive 
anti-TIP law into force.  Law 210 "Regarding the Fight Against 
Human Trafficking," has four stated aims: 1) to prevent and 
suppress TIP, 2) to protect victims of TIP 3) to guarantee respect 
for all human rights of TIP victims, and 4) to promote 
international cooperation in the fight against TIP. Law 210 law 
covers both internal and external (transnational) forms of 
trafficking.  It prohibits all forms of exploitation, including 
sexual and non-sexual.  It includes provisions for TIP prevention 
and for TIP victim protection.  It protects victims regardless of 
race, gender, religion, personal opinion, nationality, ethnicity, 
marital status or other situation.  (NOTE: Post transmitted a copy 
of Law 210 to G/TIP via e-mail in 2008.  END NOTE.) 
 
 
 
--A CONTINUED: In addition to its new Law 210, Djibouti also has 
the following trafficking-related laws on the books: 
 
 
 
--- Article 396 of the Penal Code: Pimping, employing, seducing, or 
hijacking a minor is subject to ten years of imprisonment and a 
fine of DJF 25 million (USD 140,000) 
 
--- Article 403 of the Penal Code: Forced labor is subject to two 
years of imprisonment and a fine of DJF 1 million (USD 5,600) 
 
--- Article 462 of the Penal Code: Forced sexual assault or debauch 
of a minor is subject to three years of imprisonment and a fine of 
DJF 1 million (USD 5,600) 
 
--- Article 463 of the Penal Code: Diffusing, recording, or 
transmitting pornographic images of a minor is subject to one year 
of imprisonment and a fine of DJF 200,000 (USD 1,100) 
 
 
 
--A CONTINUED: Furthermore, Djibouti has ratified the UN Protocol 
to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially 
Women and Children.  Under Djibouti's Constitution, ratified 
international protocols have the same full force and effect as 
Djiboutian laws, and override all other laws except the 
Constitution. 
 
 
 
--B: Law 210 sets out the following penalties for trafficking. 
These penalties apply to trafficking for all purposes, including 
for sexual exploitation: 
 
 
 
---Article 7 of Law 210 prescribes a penalty of two to five years 
of imprisonment and/or a fine of DJF 500,000 to 1,000,000 (USD 
2,825 to 5,650) for direct or complicit involvement in acts of TIP. 
Attempted acts of TIP are punishable with a one-to-two year jail 
sentence and/or a fine of DJF 100,000 to 500,000 (USD 565 to 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  006 OF 011 
 
 
2,825). 
 
--Article 8 of Law 210 prescribes a penalty of ten to fifteen years 
of imprisonment and a fine of DJF 500,000 to 5,000,000 (USD 2,825 
to 28,249) for any TIP offense that involves one of the following 
seven elements: 1) violence, 2) use of drugs to alter the will of 
the victim, 3) confinement or exposition of the victim in a public 
or private place of recruitment, 4) damage to the victim's mental, 
physical, moral, or medical situation, 5) organized crime, 6) worst 
forms of labor, or 7) recidivism.  In addition, Article 8 
authorizes the judge to confiscate all objects and materials used 
during the trafficking offense. 
 
--Article 9 of Law 210 prescribes a doubling of all the penalties 
enumerated in Article 8 if the trafficking offense leads to the 
death or disappearance of the victim. 
 
--Article 10 of Law 210 prescribes a sentence of six months of 
imprisonment for anybody who knowingly facilitates a trafficking 
offense.  This penalty is doubled for any subsequent conviction. 
 
--Article 11 of Law 210 prescribes a penalty of one to five years 
of imprisonment and/or a fine of DJF 500,000 to 1,000,000 (USD 
2,825 to 5,650) for anybody convicted of soliciting gifts, 
promises, or advantages of any sort in return for facilitating a 
TIP offense. This penalty is doubled if the offender is an agent of 
the administration acting during the exercise of his or her 
official functions. 
 
--Article 12 of Law 210 prescribes a lifelong travel ban on entry 
to Djibouti for any foreigner convicted of a TIP offense under the 
law. 
 
--Article 13 of Law 210 requires convicted traffickers to bear the 
costs associated with rehabilitating their victims. 
 
 
 
--C: Please see above.  Law 210 prescribes the same penalties for 
TIP regardless of the nature of the exploitation (i.e. sexual, 
labor, etc.). 
 
 
 
--D: The penalty for rape is ten years of imprisonment. 
Aggravating factors (i.e. age of the victim, special vulnerability 
of the victim, etc.) can lead to a sentence of twenty years to 
life.  Djibouti's new anti-TIP law, Law 210, foresees similar 
penalties for crimes of trafficking for commercial sexual 
exploitation.  Article 8 of Law 210 prescribes a penalty of ten to 
fifteen years of imprisonment and a fine of DJF 500,000 to 
5,000,000 (USD 2,825 to 28,249) for any TIP offense that involves 
one of the following seven elements: 1) violence, 2) use of drugs 
to alter the will of the victim, 3) confinement or exposition of 
the victim in a public or private place of recruitment, 4) damage 
to the victim's mental, physical, moral, or medical situation, 5) 
organized crime, 6) worst forms of labor, or 7) recidivism.  Most, 
if not all, TIP offenses for purposes of commercial sexual 
exploitation would be likely to contain one of these elements, and 
would thus be punishable with a minimum of ten years of 
imprisonment. 
 
 
 
--E; POLICE STATISTICS ON TRAFFICKING ARRESTS AND CONVICTIONS: A 
booklet of police statistics published in July 2009 indicates that 
148 persons were referred to the justice system on trafficking 
charges.  Of the 148, 130 were sentenced to prison.  In February 
2010, the chief of police also reported that 10 Djiboutian 
nationals and 10 Ethiopian nationals had recently been arrested on 
TIP-related offenses.  He indicated that the Djiboutians would be 
tried in Djibouti, and the Ethiopians in Ethiopia. 
 
 
 
--E CONTINUED; JUSTICE STATISTICS: An informal list of convictions 
provided to the Embassy through the Ministry of Justice lists 
sixteen convictions for trafficking/smuggling or complicity in 
trafficking/smuggling.  These convictions cover the period between 
July 2008 and April 2009.  Of the sixteen: 2 were Djiboutian, 5 
Yemeni, 1 Somali, and 8 Ethiopian.  An additional Yemeni was listed 
as charged but not sentenced.  The sentences ranged from one month 
in prison to two years in prison.  There were five sentences of one 
month, four sentences of four months, three sentences of six 
months, one sentence of nine months, and three sentences of two 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  007 OF 011 
 
 
years.  In addition, a top Justice official told EmbOffs that 16 
watercraft and 50 vehicles had to date been seized from suspected 
smugglers and traffickers. 
 
 
 
--E CONTINUED: Post will continue to request additional statistical 
data on TIP investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and 
sentences. 
 
 
 
--F:  In June 2009, GODJ officials participated in a three-day, 
IOM-sponsored workshop on the essentials of migration management, 
which included training elements on TIP.  Article 16 of Law 210 
requires the government to establish and/or support effective 
policies and programs, to, inter alia, train and educate 
professionals who deal with TIP issues.  GODJ officials have 
welcomed a planned G/TIP-funded U.S. Department of Justice Office 
of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (DOJ OPDAT) 
program (to include substantial training), and have requested 
additional assistance and training from the USG (refs F, G). 
 
 
 
--G: GODJ officials consistently stress the importance of working 
with regional partners--such as Ethiopia and Yemen--to combat TIP 
and migrant smuggling.  However, there were no known cooperative 
international TIP investigations during the reporting period.  One 
of the new anti-TIP law's four stated aims is to promote 
international cooperation in the fight against TIP.  In November 
2009, the GODJ asked that TIP be added to the agenda for regular 
Djibouti-Ethiopia talks, and proposed a bilateral Memorandum of 
Understanding (MOU) on TIP.  The draft 15-article MOU, according to 
the Ministry of Justice, identifies areas for cooperation, suggests 
government entities (including regional-level authorities) who 
could liaise on TIP issues, proposes a regular schedule of 
meetings, and sketches out a possible framework for judicial 
cooperation on TIP.  Ethiopia gave a favorable response to the MOU, 
according to the Djiboutian Ministry of Justice, but asked for a 
few months to study it in detail.  In February 2010, the chief of 
police reported that there had been improved coordination in 
fighting TIP between Djiboutian and Ethiopian law enforcement 
officials.  As per reporting by the Somalia Mixed Migration Task 
Force, Djibouti hosted a meeting on July 13-14, 2009, during which 
GODJ, ROYG, Somaliland, Puntland, IOM, UNHCR, and Danish Refugee 
Council representatives discussed efforts to improve protection of 
people crossing from Somalia and Djibouti to Yemen. 
 
 
 
--H: There were no known extraditions of TIP suspects during the 
reporting period.  However, the GODJ has recently made serious 
efforts to apprehend and prosecute foreigners who committed sexual 
offenses against minors in Djibouti, and investigations into an 
alleged pedophilia ring dating back more than a decade were 
ongoing.  Djiboutian nationals charged with TIP are not extradited 
but are prosecuted by national courts. It is prohibited by law to 
extradite Djiboutian nationals.  Foreigners are also prosecuted in 
national courts, but can be extradited to their country of origin 
if there is an extradition treaty with that country. There are no 
numbers available as to how many, if any, traffickers have been 
extradited.  French soldiers accused of a crime in Djibouti are 
extradited and tried in France in accordance with their bilateral 
agreements. 
 
 
 
--I: There is no evidence of GODJ involvement in, or tolerance of, 
trafficking on a local or institutional level during the reporting 
period.  There were isolated reports that low-level border 
officials accepted bribes in exchange for not reporting voluntary 
illegal migrants, sometimes aided by migrant smugglers. 
 
 
 
--J: No GODJ officials have been investigated or prosecuted for 
involvement in trafficking or trafficking-related corruption during 
the reporting period, nor have any been accused of such acts. 
 
 
 
--K: During 2009, Djibouti contributed up to nearly 60 troops to 
international peacekeeping efforts. There were no/no reports that 
any of this number were in any way involved in TIP. 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  008 OF 011 
 
 
--L:  There is no evidence to suggest that child sex tourism exists 
in Djibouti, but a few cases of pedophilia committed by foreigners 
have been reported in the past, and the GODJ continues to 
investigate and prosecute accused pedophiles.  There is no evidence 
to suggest that Djiboutian nationals engage in child sex tourism. 
 
 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
PROTECTION AND ASSISTANCE 
 
----------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 28: 
 
 
 
--A: Article 17 of Law 210 specifically requires the government to 
respect the human rights and dignity of TIP victims.  In practice, 
law enforcement officials did not always have sufficient training 
to identify TIP victims, and resource constraints limited the types 
of services that could be provided to victims.  However, there was 
no/no evidence that the GODJ violated the basic human rights or 
dignity of TIP victims. 
 
 
 
--B: Djibouti does not have any victim care facilities specifically 
devoted to trafficking victims.  The police work with local 
hospitals and NGOs to provide services to victims of child 
prostitution.  No hard data on the number of such children assisted 
was available.  One private NGO, CARITAS, operated a drop-in day 
center that assisted some 50 street children.  Such children are 
generally at higher risk to become child prostitutes or fall victim 
to other forms of exploitation.  CARITAS received some financial 
support from UNICEF.  A counseling center run by the National Union 
of Djiboutian Women, and operating under the patronage of the first 
lady, offered a variety of referral services to 652 men, women, and 
children in 2008.  However, this counseling center did not 
encompass a shelter.  UNICEF continued to work closely with the 
Ministry of Women Promotion on a pilot program to assist orphans 
and vulnerable children (OVCs).  OVCs were also more vulnerable to 
becoming victims of TIP or other forms of exploitation.  In 2009, 
the pilot program assisted 700 OVCs with a school kit, health care, 
and vocational training (ref F). 
 
 
 
--C: There is no GODJ funding or other material support for 
domestic or international NGOs providing services to TIP victims. 
However, Article 17 of the new anti-TIP law requires the government 
to take the necessary legislative or other measures to assist 
victims with physical, psychological, and social rehabilitation. 
Article 18 provides for the Council of Ministers to determine the 
means to be used for offering a complete range of services to TIP 
victims.  Interdicted illegal migrants are offered medical services 
by the GODJ.  Child prostitutes apprehended by the police are 
likewise offered medical services. 
 
 
 
--D: Article 17 of Djibouti's new anti-TIP law (Law 210) expressly 
requires the protection of every person vulnerable to trafficking 
or exploitation, regardless of nationality.  However, no law 
provides for special assistance to foreign trafficking victims. 
Interdicted voluntary migrants are deported to their country of 
origin. 
 
 
 
--E: No such assistance was reported. 
 
 
 
--F: The GODJ does not provide shelter or services directly to TIP 
victims, and does not have a formal referral process to transfer 
victims to other institutions.  However, the police worked with 
hospitals to provide services to child prostitution victims, and 
the GODJ worked with UNICEF to provide programming for orphans and 
 
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vulnerable children (see B above). 
 
 
 
--G: No reliable statistics available.  In a report published in 
July 2009, police recorded 201 apprehensions of suspected 
prostitutes.  Of this number,  51 were between the ages of 10 and 
¶18. 
 
 
 
--H: Djibouti does not have a formal, comprehensive system of 
proactively identifying victims of trafficking among high-risk 
populations.  However, as a preventative measure against TIP, 
articles 14 and 15 of Law 210 require special documentation for any 
minor under the age of 18 who leaves Djiboutian territory and is 
not accompanied by his or her parents.  The Council of Ministers is 
to establish, by decree, the requirements for obtaining this 
special documentation, but has not yet done so. 
 
 
 
--I: GODJ policy is to deport undocumented foreigners, including 
interdicted voluntary migrants, to their country of origin.  These 
deportees are generally held for a brief period at Nagad detention 
center before deportation.  They receive food and medical care. 
Article 17 of Djibouti's new anti-TIP law specifically requires the 
government to respect the human rights and dignity of TIP victims. 
Minors arrested for prostitution are not charged. 
 
 
 
--J: Victims of any crime are entitled to file a civil suit.  They 
also have the right to attend and testify in court during the 
suspect's trial.  Article 13 of Law 210 requires TIP offenders to 
reimburse all expenses for the rehabilitation of their victims.  In 
practice, these provisions were not enforced. 
 
 
 
--K: (On training, see 27 F).  There were no reports of Djiboutian 
nationals identified as TIP victims by Djiboutian embassies during 
the reporting period. 
 
 
 
--L. There were no reports of Djiboutian nationals repatriated as 
TIP victims during the reporting period. 
 
 
 
--M: Several orphanages, including those that receive GODJ 
financial support, take in orphaned, abandoned, or otherwise 
vulnerable children who might be likely to fall victim to 
exploitative situations.  However, with the exception of a Catholic 
charity that accepted foreign children and placed them for adoption 
overseas, the orphanages only offered services to children of 
Djiboutian nationality.  UNICEF and the Djiboutian branch of the 
international NGO CARITAS worked with street children who might be 
vulnerable to becoming child prostitutes, providing a drop-in 
center offering a range of services to about 50 street children. 
Orphanages and CARITAS reported generally good cooperation with 
local authorities. 
 
 
 
----------------- 
 
PREVENTION 
 
----------------- 
 
 
 
¶6. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 29: 
 
 
 
--A: In 2009, the GODJ invited IOM to set up a Djibouti branch 
office (ref B).  Following the opening of the office in May 2009, 
the GODJ worked closely with IOM on a campaign to warn migrants of 
the potential dangers of irregular migration, including the risk of 
becoming a victim of TIP.  The information campaign featured 
billboard, radio, and television public service announcements. 
Billboards placed at strategic locations--such as the northern town 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  010 OF 011 
 
 
of Obock (where many migrants leave by sea for Yemen) and a key 
Djibouti-Ethiopia trucking corridor roundabout--communicated 
messages via three languages (Amharic, Somali, and English), as 
well as through easy-to-understand pictures.  (NOTE.  Post e-mailed 
G/TIP photos of the IOM billboards in 2009. END NOTE). 
 
 
 
--B: There is no organized program in place to screen for potential 
trafficking victims along national borders.  However, IOM is 
assisting the GODJ in border assessments of several land borders to 
identify training and infrastructure needs.  At time of submission, 
IOM had completed a border assessment at the Galafi border point, 
and was beginning an assessment at Guelile (both on the 
Djibouti-Ethiopia border). 
 
 
 
--C. Article 16 of Djibouti's new anti-TIP law requires the 
government to take the necessary measures to establish or reinforce 
coordination between all relevant authorities on a national 
anti-TIP plan.  GODJ officials reported good ad hoc cooperation 
between judicial, law enforcement, and other officials during the 
reporting period.  IOM also continued to help the GODJ revitalize a 
National Migration Task Force, chaired by the Ministry of the 
Interior. 
 
 
 
--D. There is no national plan of action to address TIP, however, 
GODJ officials have requested USG technical assistance in creating 
one.  The planned G/TIP funded OPDAT program (see 27F) will likely 
be able to include training and technical assistance in this area. 
 
 
 
--E: The Police Vice Squad continued to question persons suspected 
of solicitation during the reporting period. 
 
 
 
--F: There is no evidence that any Djiboutian nationals are 
involved in international child sex tourism. 
 
 
 
--G:  Not applicable to Djibouti. 
 
 
 
-------------------- 
 
PARTNERSHIPS 
 
-------------------- 
 
 
 
¶7. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 30: 
 
 
 
--A: (see 27 G). 
 
 
 
--B: The GODJ provides no known assistance to other governments to 
address TIP. 
 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
CHILD SOLDIERS PREVENTION ACT 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶8. (SBU) Responses to reftel question 33: 
 
 
 
--There were no/no allegations during the reporting period that the 
GODJ engaged in unlawful child soldiering. 
 
DJIBOUTI 00000193  011 OF 011 
 
 
------------- 
 
CONTACT 
 
-------------- 
 
 
 
¶9. (U) Post point of contact for trafficking in persons issues is 
POL/ECON Officer Rebecca Hunter (hunterrk@state.gov 
 , IVG 597-2305, TED March/April 2010). 
SWAN