U.S. Embassy Djibouti celebrates the 233rd america's Independence Day (07/06/09)
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| Ambassador Swan delivering his speech (07/06/09) |
The American Embassy in Djibouti hosted an Independence Day reception on July 6 to celebrate the 233rd anniversary of America’s independence. Guests in attendance included H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and other senior officials from the Government of Djibouti, representatives from community organizations and the private sector, and the diplomatic corp. In his remarks, Ambassador James Swan emphasized the common interests and values the United States shares with the government and people of Djibouti, and our work together to achieve common goals in promoting regional peace and security, economic development, and good governance.(full speech) (discours en français)
LIFE helping Improve refugees living conditions (07/02/09)
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| Graduation ceremony on sewing for 49 women for Ali Addeh refugee camp |
On July 2, 2009, Local Initiatives for Education (LIFE) International, a non-profit group dedicated to improving access to healthcare and educational opportunities for Djiboutians, held a graduation ceremony recognizing 49 women who successfully completed sewing training at the refugee camp in Ali Addeh.
This training was made possible by a $20,000 grant from the Ambassador’s Fund for Refugees in Africa, now known as the Julia Taft Fund, in September 2008. This grant allowed LIFE International and its implementing partner “Associations Points des Repères” to purchase sewing machines, materials, and other necessary teaching equipment, as well as to hire qualified tailors from the refugee camp to teach the sewing classes. Participants received training on sewing, and on proper care and maintenance of the machines, with the aim of become more financially in dependent. For additional information on the Julia Taft Fund, please visit: http://www.state.gov/g/prm/rls/120430.htm
Ambassador Girls Scholarship Program (06/30/09)
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| Ambassador Swan with the AGSP recipients |
On June 30, U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, James Swan, awarded certificates of merit to twenty distinguished recipients of the Ambassador’s Girls’ Scholarship Program (AGSP). Amb. Swan and USAID Representative Stephanie Funk presented certificates and school supplies to twenty Djiboutian students, in recognition of their hard work and academic excellence. The AGSP seeks to promote academic achievement among girls and boys from underprivileged families—especially orphans and vulnerable teenagers, and students living in rural areas—and to provide them with greater access to quality education. In Djibouti, a total of 1,243 students have received AGSP scholarships from the U.S. Embassy. USAID works with local community committees, parent teacher associations, health representatives, school directors, and teachers to identify girls and boys whose academic excellence and background fit the selection criteria for the AGSP.
U.S. Embassy, Nairobi, Kenya Press Release
June 18, 2009
U.S. Condemns Murder of Omar Hashi
The United States government condemns in the strongest terms the suicide bomb attack today in Beledweyne which killed Security Minister Omar Hashi, as well as Ambassador Abdikarim Farah and possibly others. Minister Hashi was a strong partner in the process of rebuilding Somalia, particularly through his tireless his efforts to reconstruct the TFG’s security forces. We offer our deepest condolences to his family and his colleagues.
This deplorable attack is another example of the cowardly acts undertaken by those who oppose the efforts to achieve peace in Somalia. This act also underscores the vital need for continued international support of the TFG. The United States will continue to provide strong support to the TFG and to all Somalis wishing for peace and reconciliation.
Visiting the USS Arleigh Burke (06/10/09)
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| US Embassy personnel and family members visiting the USS Arleigh Burke |
U.S. Embassy personnel and family members visited the USS Arleigh Burke on June 10, 2009. Earlier in the day, the crew of the USS Arleigh Burke conducted training activities with the Djiboutian Navy, as part of the U.S. military’s ongoing cooperation with and support of the Djiboutian armed forces. With its significant port facilities, including the $300 million Doraleh Container Terminal opened in January 2009, Djibouti is an important stop for many commercial and military vessels. Foreign naval vessels visiting Djibouti recently have included ships from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Merchant Marine, the European Union’s “Atalanta” counter-piracy task force, and counter-piracy destroyers from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces, France, India, the Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom.2009 Awards Ceremony (05/28/09)
The United States Embassy in Djibouti kicked off its annual 2009 awards ceremony on May 28, with remarks by Ambassador James C. Swan, who applauded the Embassy staff for their hard work and dedication. In remarks addressed to the nearly 300 Djiboutians working for the U.S. Embassy in Djibouti, Amb. Swan highlighted the Embassy’s achievements in working with Djiboutian counterparts to promote regional peace and security, economic development, and democracy and good governance.
USAID and CJTF-HOA are working to revitalize Djibouti's rural health sector (05/10/09)
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| Damerjog clinic ribbon cutting ceremony |
Djibouti’s Minister of Health, H.E. Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil, and U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, James Swan, jointly inaugurated the Damerjog health clinic on May 10. USAID representative, Stephanie Funk, as well as local elected officials and chiefs from the Damerjog region, also took part in the ceremony. Rehabilitation of the Damerjog clinic included renovating the primary building, rehabilitating the nurses’ dormitory, installing toilets, and constructing a nutrition center. This new clinic, funded entirely by USAID, host medicine and personnel detailed by the Ministry of Health, and serves as an excellent example of bilateral cooperation between Djibouti and the United States, to build Djibouti’s healthcare institutions.Books for Africa (April 8, 2009)
On April 8, USAID Representative to Djibouti, Ms. Stephanie Funk, donated 1,600 English-language textbooks to the Library of the University of Djibouti, in the presence of the Chairman of the University of Djibouti, Dr. Omar Bouh; the Dean of the Literature faculty, Dr. Abdoulmalik I. Zeid; and Ms. Nafissa Mohamed, the Deputy Librarian. U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Lemonier collected the textbooks and provided them to the Civil Affairs unit stationed here. Col. Kristine Petermann helped coordinate the donation of the books to USAID, on behalf of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA). This donation comes as the Faculty of Literature, Languages and Social Sciences is undertaking a vast program to incorporate English-language curricula into the university’s course offerings in science, technology, law, economics, and tourism. By providing appropriate teaching tools and texts, this donation helps meet the needs of the students as well as the teachers in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Science.
Dalley Af Health Clinic (04/02/09)
U.S. Ambassador James Swan, USAID/East Africa Regional Director Cheryl Anderson, and Djibouti’s Minister of Health, H.E. Abdallah Abdillahi Miguil, inaugurated Daley-Af, health clinic on April 2. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), provided nearly $150,000 (more than 26 million Djiboutian francs) in funding for renovation and extension of the health post, as part of USAID’s Expanded Coverage of Essential Health Services in Djibouti Project ("Projet Extension de la Couverture en services de Sante Essentiels", PECSE).
Breaking ground for a new U.S. Embassy compound in Haramous (March 26, 2009)
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| Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed and Ambassador Swan marking the beginning of the construction |
On March 26, U.S. Ambassador James Swan and His Excellency Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita participated in a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction on a new Embassy of the United States of America. Construction of the new compound began immediately after the ceremony. The contract was awarded to Caddell Construction Company on September 30, 2008, and the total cost of the construction project will exceed U.S.$121 million (21 billion DF). The construction phase will last for 32 months and is scheduled to finish in August 2011. The new compound will house a new chancery, warehouse, Marines’ quarters, cafeteria, and recreation facility. To provide additional services to the public, the new chancery will feature expanded facilities for the public diplomacy and consular sections, including an auditorium, an Information Resource Center to provide library materials and Internet access, and a much larger consular waiting room.
Ambassador Swan visits Arta region (03/17/09)
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| USAID Representative, Stephanie Funk, Ambassador Swan and the prefect of Arta Hassan Darar (from left to right) |
Ambassador James Swan paid a courtesy visit the Prefect and sub-prefect, regional council, military leaders, and civil society groups of the Arta region on Tuesday, March 17. Accompanied by the Representative for the U.S. Agency for International Development, Stephanie Funk, the Ambassador toured USAID supported education projects, completed Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund projects, and discussed development issues with local leaders. Prior to the visit to Arta, Swan meet with the sub prefect and local leaders in Damerjog to visit a USAID and CJTF-HOA supported a latrine project for a local village school. Swan and the Prefect, Hassan Darar Houffaneh, discussed regional issues and future cooperation on development projects.
Swan also discussed decentralization issues with the local regional council. He visited Mutual Arta, a local civil society group that previously benefited from the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund. Using the Self-Help money, Mutual Arta, recently completed a water supply system that provides potable water to the underserved inhabitants of the town.
Trio Chicago & Friends in Djibouti (03/12/09)
U.S. Embassy Djibouti hosted Trio Chicago & Friends, an American classical music ensemble playing early 20th-century music by American composers, for a series of concerts targeting key regional opinion makers, members of the Djiboutian government, youth groups, civil society, and private business groups. The group performed five concerts over the course of six days, conducted two masters’ classes at the local Institute of Art, and wrapped up the tour with a live radio broadcast with music and questions. The group emphasized that American music is more than just the contemporary pop music commonly heard on the radio.
In response to requests by the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Leisure, and Tourism, the U.S. Embassy began the tour by taking the group to urban centers outside the capital city. Trio Chicago & Friends performed for over one hundred people in the remote urban center of Ali Sabieh, and over two hundred youth and high-school students in the northern city of Tadjourah. Both concerts were a success, reaching young audiences and were attended by notable members of the community, including the district governor of Ali Sabieh and other members of the GODJ regional administration.
In city of Djibouti itself, the group gave two masters’ classes for young and aspiring professional musician at the Djiboutian Institute of Art, as well as an evening concert. The group also performed for a full house at the French Cultural Center, and received rave reviews and garnered the Embassy effusive praise. The concert tour ended with a concert at the U.S. Embassy for government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, and private business owners, wardens, and members of the NGO community.
Before leaving Djibouti, the group was interviewed by Radio-Television Djibouti to answer questions about American classical music and played selections from their repertoire for the listening audience. The interview was broadcast live and rebroadcast later that evening during the primetime news hour. The group appeared in the local press five times over the week; once in the government run local newspaper announcing their arrival and the start of the tour, three times on television (beginning, middle and at the end of the tour), and twice on the radio.
U.S. Embassy Hosts Martin Luther KING, JR. Day event (01/21/09)
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| Ambassador Swan delivering his speech |
On January 21, 2009, Ambassador James Swan hosted a Martin Luther King Day event at his residence. Guests included Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita, cabinet ministers, government officials and members of Parliament, representatives of political parties, and other distinguished guests. A number of senior Somali officials, including Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed also attended. Ambassador Swan delivered a short speech celebrating African American heritage and the strong cultural ties shared between Africa and the United States.
In addition, the occasion was used to mark the inauguration of President Barack Obama, who was sworn in shortly after noon EST (1700 GMT) on January 20. After taking the presidential oath of office, he became the 44th President of the United States, the first African-American to hold that office.
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts administered the oath of office to Obama on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Obama swore the oath of office on the bible last used to inaugurate President Abraham Lincoln in 1861. (Ambassador's speech)
Obock Pier Dedicated January 14, 2009 (01/14/09)
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| Ambassador Swan at the dedication ceremony |
Ambassador James Swan and Djibouti Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita inaugurated the new pier of Obock whose construction started in 2007. The Minister of Transport, Ali Hassan Bahdon; the Minister of Defense, Ougoureh Kifleh Ahmed; and Rear Admiral Philip Greene, Commander of CJTF-HOA, participated in the dedication ceremony.“This project is part of the greater whole,” Swan said. “If you look along the pier you will see two 17-meter patrol boats, provided to the Djiboutian Navy through another security cooperation program in 2007. Further down the coast, is the Ras Bir lighthouse which, still under construction, will eventually support a radar receiver as part of the Regional Maritime Awareness Capability. These three programs, taken together, will greatly enhance Djibouti’s ability to protect its maritime borders, leading to greater protection of the Port of Djibouti, and reducing the threat of piracy, human trafficking, smuggling and illegal fishing.”
The pier is divided into two structures; a civil portion and a military portion. The civil portion includes a small pier, boat ramp, classroom and a fully-equipped ice house. The military portion includes a 90-meter maritime platform, a head office, an administrative and mooring infrastructure, fully-automated gas and firefighting systems, as well as water and fuel storage facilities.
“The Obock pier project, funded by the U.S. military and managed by the [U.S. Embassy’s] U.S. Liaison Office, is the most significant program of its kind ever undertaken in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita. “I feel great satisfaction at the inauguration of the joint Obock pier, as it is the prelude to the development of an important civil and military port.”
Radiation Detection equipment for the Port of Djibouti soon (12/11/08)
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| Ambassador Swan and Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the signing ceremony. |
Ambassador James Swan, acting on behalf of the Department of Energy for the National Nuclear Security Administration, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Equipment and Transport that will allow the two governments to work together to prevent the smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material. The Megaports Initiative will provide radiation detection equipment to the Port of Djibouti, which will help detect the presence of illicit or smuggled nuclear and other radioactive materials in cargo containers shipped through the port By signing the accord Djibouti will become the first Megaport facility in Africa and one of nineteen world-wide.
uSAID donated computer equipment for census (12/01/08)
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| Ambassador Swan with the Director of DISED, Amareh Ali and USAID representative Stephanie Funk. |
Ambassador Swan and USAID representative Stephanie Funk donated computer equipment to the Director of the Statistics Office of Djibouti (DISED) to support the second general census of the population and habitat. The computer equipment was given by the American Census Bureau and donated through USAID. In addition to the physical equipment, the American Census Bureau will provide technical assistance to help DISED collect and analyze census data. The equipment and technical assistance is worth $263,000 and will give the technicians of DISED the means necessary to conduct the first census in country in over two decades. Scheduled to start in January 2009, the census is critical to the Djiboutian government and its development partners because viable data on the population are necessary in order to successfully plan and fund assistance programs.
Ambassador Swan Djibouti tour (11/22/08)
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| Ambassador Swan with the Sultan of Tadjourah, Abdoulkhader Houmed Mohamed |
U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti James Swan visited several towns in Djibouti November 19 and 22. On November 19 the Ambassador paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Tadjourah, Mr. Abdoulkhader Houmed Mohamed and the Prefect, Mr. Abdoulrazak Daoud, as well as the President of the Tadjourah Regional Council, Mr. Daoud Alwan Daoud. While in Tadjourah, Ambassador Swan donated books to two institutions supported by USAID and the Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Fund: a Children’s Library and the Center for Teacher Training. During the same trip, Ambassador Swan also visited a Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA) Civil Affairs project which rehabilitated dormitories and a cantina at the local Tadjourah high school. (more)
Ambassador Swan visits President of National Assembly (11/10/08)
U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti James C. Swan visited with the President of Djibouti’s National Assembly, Idriss Arnaoud. The two discussed U.S.-Djiboutian bilateral relations, economic development, and development assistance cooperation between the two countries.
Presentation of Credentials (11/10/08)
US Ambassador to Djibouti James C. Swan presented his credentials to President Ismael Omar Guelleh at an official ceremony held at the Presidency on November 10, 2008. Ambassador Swan was nominated by President George W. Bush and was sworn in as Ambassador to the Republic of Djibouti on October 3, 2008. (read Ambassador’s speech)
School kits for the orphans (10/05/08)
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| School kits handing over ceremony to the students. 10/05/08 |
The US Embassy and UNICEF-Djibouti in partnership with Diwan Al Zakat Foundation handed school kits over to 550 orphan elementary school students during a symbolic ceremony that was held at the Youth Protection National Center on Sunday, October 5.
The ceremony presided by Mr. Aden Cheikh, President of the Foundation and Advisor to the President of the Republic, was held in the presence of the Representative of UNICEF, Dr. Kamuragiye, and the Public Affairs Officer of the US Embassy, Mr. Niles Cole. This was another opportunity for the US Embassy and UNICEF to join efforts in order to assist the most vulnerable population in a financially difficult situation.
550 elementary school orphans received a school bag with school supplies in order to get a good start for the new school year.
After the distribution of 300 school kits to the boarders of the Mother and Children Center and 150 others to the orphans cared for by the Ministry of Women’s Promotion, 1000 school kits would have reached the orphans and vulnerable children with these last 550 kits to the orphans listed by Diwan Al Zakat Foundation.
USAID and Government of Djibouti signs $2.7 Millions in agreement for Education and Health programs (09/25/08)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Djibouti signed two cooperative agreements regarding health and education. The signing ceremony of those accords took place on September 09, 2008.
The handshake which is the emblem of USAID illustrates the nature of relations between the Republic of Djibouti and the American Agency. For some years, USAID and Djibouti have close relations, and they intend to continue on this way.
U.S. Agency for International Development and the Government of Djibouti signed two assistance agreements for health and education. The two documents signed by Mrs. Cheryl Anderson, director of USAID for East Africa and Mr. Ahmed Ali Silay, Minister Delegate for International Cooperation, are intended to support Djibouti in the implementation of the National Initiative for Social Development (INDS).
These agreements demonstrate the U.S. commitment to provide 478 million Djibouti francs (2.7 million US dollars) for bilateral development assistance to support Health and Education sectors in the Republic of Djibouti.
The agreements, which outline the commitment of both governments on common objectives, support the Ministries of Health and Education in providing financial support to specific USAID programs in Djibouti.
In health, the agreement will ensure the strengthening of the Ministry of Health’s activities aimed at polio eradication, through social mobilization and epidemiological surveillance. Besides, it will improve the capacity of the National TB Program while reducing the transmission of the disease.
In the education field, the agreement will support the Ministry of Education in its efforts to improve the education system at the national level, increase access to education for out of school children, ensure decentralized trainings for teachers, and increase community participation in primary schools.
Grant to LIFE under the Ambassador's Fund for Refugees in Africa (09/18/08)
The U.S. Embassy under the Ambassadors’ Fund for Refugees in Africa, awarded US$20,000 (DJF 3,540,000) to Local Initiatives for Education (LIFE) International Thursday October 18. The non-profit group dedicated to improving access to healthcare and educational opportunities for Djiboutians. Working in partnership with the “Association Point des Repères” (APR), LIFE will use the grant to create financially independent small businesses by providing job training and basic education to 60-80 refugees.
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