Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Karl Wycoff Visits Djibouti (12/09/09)
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| (DAS Wycoff addresses local and regional press during a Dec 9 press conference.) |
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| (Ambassador Swan (left) and DAS Karl Wycoff (Center) observe marine traffic with Petty Officer Ali Kamil (center, red beret) and Lt Ibrahim Zakaria (right, desert cameo) of the Forces Armée Djiboutienne near Moulhoulé.) |
Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Karl Wycoff, visited Djibouti to discuss common interests with the Government of Djibouti and observe the ministerial meeting of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) held here December 7-9. In addition to the IGAD ministerial session, DAS Wycoff met with the President of the Republic, Ismaël Omar Guelleh and other members of the government of Djibouti to discuss bilateral issues, including the border situation with Eritrea. DAS Wycoff’s visit also included a press conference where he reiterated U.S. support for the Djibouti Peace Process and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government.
After the IGAD ministerial and meetings with the host government, DAS Wycoff visited Djibouti’s base at Moulhoulé, in the border region near Eritrea on December 10th. He was briefed by the commanding officer of the Djiboutian Armed Forces contingent in the area, Lieutenant Colonel Daher Mohamed Ali. Eritrea occupied Djiboutian territory in the area of Ras Doumeira in April of 2008, and the two sides exchanged fire on June 10, 2008. The situation has yet to be resolved although the United Nations Security Council passed resolution 1862 demanding that Eritrea withdraw from the contested border region.
U.S. Embassy and Vivre Plus Fort Raise Awareness of Rights for the Disabled(11/22/2009)
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| Members of the Djiboutian Association of People with disabilities highlight equal rights issues with local comedians. |
The U.S. Embassy, in cooperation with the Djiboutian Association of People with Disabilities, “Vivre Plus Fort”, hosted a public concert to raise awareness of the rights of the disabled on November 22 at the Palais du Peuple. The association received financial support from the U.S. Embassy’s Democracy and Human Rights Fund in 2008 to host a series of advocacy workshops focusing on the rights of the disabled in the areas of healthcare, equal treatment under the law, and employment opportunities. On April 21, 2009, President Ismail Omar Guelleh signed the International Convention on the Rights of the Disabled, which was then subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee and Foreign Affairs Committees of Djibouti’s National Assembly.
The Embassy’s Public Affairs Officer, Niles Cole, highlighted the importance of respecting the rights of the disabled and the commended the Government of Djibouti’s efforts to ensure equal opportunity for those with disabilities. He encouraged all parties to continue supporting the rights of the disabled in order to overcome the challenges faced by those living with disabilities.
U.S. Embassy and the University of Djibouti Celebrate International Education Week 2009 (11/17/2009)
The U.S. Embassy celebrated November 17-23 as International Education Week (IEW), in partnership with the University of Djibouti and USAID-funded volunteers from the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH) in Djibouti to promote educational exchanges, English language learning opportunities, and international understanding.
Over the course of the week, the Public Affairs Section hosted several activities, including a session on how to find English language resources on the internet, and educational advising sessions on how students can study in the United States. The week’s events closed with a round table discussion with Djiboutian professionals and alumni of U.S. Department of State-sponsored exchange programs.
Female Computer Technicians Graduate from US-Supported Vocational School
(11/15/2009)
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| Ambassador James Swan (right) awards a certificate and computer repair kit to one of the graduates as Minister Nimo Houssein (far right) looks on. |
Ambassador James Swan and USAID Education Representative Alpha Diallo joined the Djiboutian Minister of Women’s Affairs, Ms. Nimo Boulhan Houssein, in awarding certificates to thirty women who completed a four-month vocational training course in computer maintenance. The training was organized by the Women’s Training Center in Balbala and paid for by USAID. The training targeted women between 20 and 29 years of age who lacked formal education. The program is designed to teach the skills necessary for these disadvantaged women to participate in the labor market. In addition to teaching computer maintenance skills, over the course of the program, the trainees had opportunities to work in private Djiboutian companies in order to gain practical experience.
Inauguration of Self-Help projects (11/02/09)
In November, Ambassador James Swan inaugurated several Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund projects around the country. The Ambassador’s Fund helps finance small development projects initiated by local, active community associations to promote self-sufficiency and local income generation. The recipients are chosen from the five interior districts and cover a wide range of community projects
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| (Ambassador Swan inspects the new beehives that will be used to increase agricultural production) |
On November 2, the Ambassador inaugurated an apiary project with the “Association Future de Randa” in Dittilou, Tadjourah. The project financed the construction of ten beehives and necessary safety equipment that will be used by the association to increase local vegetable production through pollination. The honey generated by the bees will be sold for additional income for the community to reinvest into food production.
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| Ambassador Swan chats with village elders in Kalaf (top) before cutting the ribbon on the new center (bottom). |
Kalaf, in Tadjourah, celebrated the inauguration of their artisanal workshop on November 4, 2009. The village artisans have in the past been able to sell their products at the roadside; now, with community labor and with a small U.S. investment for materials, they have a small shop to display and secure their products.
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| (The Ambassador addresses the elders and the Sultan of the Goba’ad region of Dikhil, H.E. Hassan Boka) |
On November 17, the Ambassador inaugurated the As-Eyla community vegetable sorting center. As-Eyla is the largest village in the Dikhil region, and is a large producer of seasonal agricultural products sold in Djibouti. The As-Eyla Agriculture Cooperative Association rehabilitated their produce sorting center which burnt down in an accidental fire several years ago. The center will allow the cooperative to get their products to the market faster and increase the profits of the members.
USAID and CJTF-HOA parteners with Djibouti Ministry of Health to eradicates Cholera (10/27/09)
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| Dr Kassim Osman and Stephanie Funk at the delivery ceremony at the CAMME |
USAID, the Combined Joint Task Force–Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), and the Ministry of Health joined hands to combat cholera in Djibouti. USAID Representative Stephanie Funk, Civil Affairs Team Medical Specialist Lt. Colonel Theresa Mercadosconzo, and Mr. Kassim Osman, Inspector General of the Ministry of Health, teamed up to deliver emergency relief to the cholera treatment center at Farah-Had. A total of 40 new cots, provided by the U.S. military, were delivered to the Central Unit for Purchasing Medicines and Medical Supplies (CAMME), which will be used to treat patients at Farah-Had cholera treatment center.
This joint effort by USAID, CJTF-HOA, and the Ministry of Health follows the confirmation of 163 cases of cholera in Djibouti and identification of another 618 cases of diarrhea. The donation is part of an ongoing effort to increase the capabilities of the Farah-Had cholera treatment center.
Speaker program on proportional representation reaches diverse audiences (September 26-October 3, 2009)
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| Arun Kapil discussing electoral systems with majority and opposition parties. |
Political scientist Arun Kapil, from Africa Regional Services in Paris, spent September 27th to October 3rd in Djibouti for a series of seminars on electoral systems with locally elected leaders, parliamentarians, magistrates, university professors, researchers and leaders of political parties.
The seminars gave audiences an in-depth understanding of how different systems based on either proportional or majoritarian representation operate. Djiboutian parliamentarians in particular were very interested in the topic, as the Government of Djibouti is planning to introduce a proportional representation system in the National Assembly for the legislative elections of 2013. The exact method of apportionment has not yet been decided. During the seminar, Kapil organized mock elections for the parliamentarians to show how different electoral systems could produce dramatically different results.
The end of the seminar brought parties from the ruling majority coalition and opposition political parties together for a lively debate about proportional representation. Proportional representation is one of nine outstanding demands the opposition made of the majority coalition party since the 2003 legislative elections. Since 2003, the opposition coalition has boycotted several elections, and this is the first time the two sides have sat down to discuss proportional representation. Both sides agreed to further dialogue and welcomed the opportunity to discuss proportional representation with an expert who could explain the advantages and disadvantages of each system.
