Djibouti

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Overview

Djibouti is small, impoverished, arid country in Northeast Africa with few natural resources and little industry. Since gaining independence from France in 1977, the country’s significance within the international community has grown to depend solely on its geographical location at the southern end of the Red Sea, across from the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The capital, Djibouti City, boasts an international port whose transport facilities are used by several landlocked African countries to fly their goods in for re-export.The activity at the port generates much-needed transit taxes and harbour fees for Djibouti. Djibouti also hosts the only American military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier, which has taken on a more prominent role owing to recent turmoil in Somalia, and the Horn of Africa generally, as well as the Middle East..

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Basic Information

Lay of the Land: Djibouti lies in Northeast Africa, also termed the Horn of Africa, on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Djibouti has a 195 mile long coastline, and borders Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west, and Somalia to the south. With an area of 8,958 square miles, Djibouti is about the size of the state of Massachusetts. The capital and largest city is Djibouti City, which is home to two-thirds of the population. The rest of the country is divided into five regions: the Ali Sabieh Region, the Arta Region, the Dikhil Region, the Obock Region, and the Tadjourah Region. These outlying five regions are home to the remaining third of the population, most of whom are nomadic pastoralists. Owing to its arid climate of stony desert, scattered plateaus, and highlands, Djibouti produces little food, and must rely on imports to feed its population. 

 
Population: 864,000 (2009 estimate)
 
Religions: The majority of Djibouti’s population is Muslim (Sunni) at approximately 96%, while the remaining 4% of the population are Christian, non-religious, or Baha'i.
 
Ethnic Groups: Somali (Issa) 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian).
 
Languages: Afar 64%, Somali 62.3%, Ta'izzi-Adeni Arabic 11.1%, French (official) 3.3%, Arabic (official).
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History

Nomadic people who recorded their history through poetry and song have inhabited Djibouti for thousands of years. In ancient times, Djiboutian people traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt, India, and China. For thousands of years these Djiboutian traders were in close contact with the Arabian Peninsula, which lies only twelve miles across the Gulf of Aden. Due to this close contact with the Arabian Peninsula, the Issa and Afar peoples in this region became among the first Africans to accept Islam.

 
During the late 19th century era of European imperial expansion and competition, when the area was ruled by the sultan of Raheita, Tadjoura and Gobaad, France gained a foothold in the horn of Africa when it purchased the anchorage of Obock in 1862. The administrative capital was moved from Obock to Djibouti in 1892. The French eventually expanded the anchorage to a colony called French Somaliland, with essentially the current boundaries. In 1967, the area became the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. 
 
After World War II, French Somaliland gradually gained a measure of local autonomy, including limited self-rule in 1957 and French overseas territory status in 1958, which allowed the people to elect one deputy and one senator to the French National Assembly. The majority Issas, however, complained that the territory’s citizenship law favored the minority Afars, who favored association with France and feared domination by the Issas. Indeed, the Issas led the country’s independence movement throughout the postwar period. Finally, in 1975, the territory’s citizenship law was revised to admit more Issas, who on May 1977 voted decisively for independence, which was officially established on June 27, 1977. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the territory’s premier, had been elected the nation's first president by the territorial Chamber of Deputies three days earlier. Although Gouled, an Issa, appointed Afar premiers and a roughly balanced cabinet, the dominance of the Issas in administration led to political conflict, including cabinet crises and, during the 1990s, a civil war.
 
Dissatisfaction with Gouled grew in the late 1980s and contributed to an uprising by Afar guerrillas of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) in late 1991. The civil war that broke out in November of 1991 was in reaction to the lack of Afar presence in the government despite the sizeable percentage of Afar population in Djibouti. In February 1992, government forces received aid from some French troops and from French mediation attempts, which were unsuccessful. Fighting continued until peace accords were signed in December 1994 between a moderate faction of the FRUD and the government. The majority of the FRUD disarmed and the military integrated a segment of the insurgents into its ranks. Two FRUD leaders accepted ministerial posts, and the FRUD was given legal recognition as a political party. 
 
The 1999 election of current Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh, a longtime key advisor and chief of staff to former President Gouled, signaled little change in the status quo. As the nephew of former President Gouled, he was chosen as the joint candidate for the already ruling People’s Rally for Progress (RPP) and the FRUD. After the completion of Guelleh’s first six-year presidential term, he was sworn in for his second and presumably final six-year term as president during a one-man election in April of 2005 in which he received 100% of the votes.
 
The Issas of President Guelleh’s sub-clan continue to wield disproportionate political and economic influence, and the opposition's accusations of elections fraud have fallen on deaf ears. Since 2003, U.S. State Department reports have cited evidence of on-going human rights abuses by the government, but given U.S. interest in Djibouti as a strategic ally in the Middle East and the horn of Africa, aid donors are unlikely to apply strong pressure for reforms. 
 
In May 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the previous French Foreign Legion base Camp Lemonnier to the United States. The Camp acts as a United States Naval Expeditionary Base and is located at Djibouti’s International Airport. It transitioned in 2008 from United States Central Command to being home to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Camp Lemonnier is currently the only US military infrastructure located in Africa .
 
Djibouti is a member of the Arab League, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
 
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History of U.S. Relations with Djibouti

Since Djibouti achieved independence in June 1977, relations between the U.S. and Djibouti have been amiable. Following Djibouti’s independence from France, Djibouti-U.S. relations have been relatively one-sided, as the U.S. is a principal provider of humanitarian assistance for famine relief, and sponsors health care, education, good governance, and security assistance programs. The Djibouti government has generally been supportive of U.S. interests within the country, as demonstrated by President Guelleh’s offer of support from his nation in the U.S. initiated War on Terror in 2001,and especially with the allowance of the U.S. constructing the military base Camp Lemonnier on Djibouti land.

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Current U.S. Relations with Djibouti

In recent years, Djibouti’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, across from the Southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has made it more important to U.S. policy in North Africa and the Middle East. Djibouti has allowed the U.S. military, as well as forces from other nations, access to its port and airport facilities. The Djiboutian Government has been very supportive of U.S. interests, particularly during the Gulf War of 1990-1991 and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. However, in early 2003, Djibouti was among the many countries that opposed military action against Iraq without a United Nations resolution. In 2002, Djibouti agreed to host a U.S. military presence at Camp Lemonnier, a former French Foreign Legion base outside the capital that now houses approximately 1,800 American personnel. The only U.S. military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy base, and is headquarters of U.S. military operations in the horn of Africa. U.S. service members provide humanitarian support and development and security assistance to people and governments of the Horn of Africa and Yemen. 

 
USAID funds provide for a Food For Peace program, which maintains a warehouse in Djibouti containing pre-positioned emergency food relief for expedient delivery of humanitarian assistance to famine-stricken countries from Africa to Asia.
 
USAID will ensure continued internal stability in Djibouti by supporting health and education programs that promote social equity and increase the participation of the average Djiboutian in the workplace. Additionally, the U.S. will continue support for health-activities and also will provide assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Part of the President’s Plan for AIDS Relief will receive funding in order to implement their goals and strategies to combat HIV/AIDS.
 
145 Djiboutians traveled to the U.S. in 2006. The number of visitors has remained between 117 (2005) and 191 (2003) in the last 5 years. 
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Where Does the Money Flow

Djibouti is a poverty stricken nation with few natural resources and little industry. The country’s greatest resource, in fact, is its strategic location on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. As a result, the economy of Djibouti is based on service activities connected with international maritime trade. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti’s container terminal. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. 

 
The nation is heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects, including salt mining at Lake Asal, gold mining, geothermal energy, and tourism. Capital from Dubai, specifically the multinational corporation Dubai Ports World, is being invested to greatly expand the country’s port facilities. An unemployment rate of 60% continues to be a major problem, as is a illiteracy rate estimated at 32%. Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen into arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
 
The United States has been partnering with Djibouti to help mitigate internal and external security threats, and the U.S. will continue to support basic education, particularly for girls, with an emphasis on lowering the high illiteracy rate. Additionally, the U.S. will support Djibouti internally by providing assistance for basic skills training, improved quality of healthcare, and provision of food aid for the vulnerable and malnourished. Externally, the U.S. has pledged to continue to help Djibouti protect its land and waters against threats of piracyand terrorism.
 
USAID activities in FY 2010 focus on economic opportunities, especially for out-of-school youth. Specifically, the U.S. has started working with the government and private sector leaders, in the words of the State Department, “ to develop vocational education and training and increase the work ethic necessary to start-up micro-enterprises and to compete in the changing labor market.” It is anticipated that this start-up activity in 2010 will provide 100 graduates of U.S.-supported vocational training in 2011 and they will be placed in jobs every year beginning in 2011.
 
Trade between the U.S. and Djibouti is fairly modest. In 2008, U.S. exports to Djibouti jumped to a totalof $140.8 million, almost $100 million more than the previous year. While wheat exports decreased from $14.5 million in 2006 to $9.5 million in 2008, rice exports increased from $161,000 in 2007 to $717,000 in 2008. Sorghum, barley and oats greatly increased from $286,000 in 2007 to $52 million in 2008. Other increases in exports to Djibouti were seen in agricultural industry-unmanufactured, going from $14 million in 2007 to $23 million in 2008, telecommunications equipment going from $688,000 in 2007 to $4 million in 2008 and civilian aircraft going from $0 in 2004 to $3.2 million in 2008.
 
Decreases in exports to Djibouti were seen in areas such as vegetables, which sank from $1.3 million in 2007 to $118,000 in 2008. Other decreases were seen in agricultural farming-unmanufactured products, which went from $2 million in 2004 to $0 in 2008. Drilling and oilfield equipment also saw a decrease from $1.2 million in 2004 to $57,000 in 2008.
 
In 2008, imports from Djibouti to the U.S. rose from $4.5 million in 2007 to a total of $7 million. Increases in imports were specifically in green coffee, which rose from $43,000 in 2004 to $995,000 in 2008. Other increased imports include nontextile apparel and household goods from $0 in 2007 to $163,000 in 2008.
 
Decreased imports were significant in computer accessories, which sank from $81,000 in 2004 to $14,000 in 2008.
 
Djibouti received $6.6 million in U.S. aid in FY 2010. The largest recipient programs were Development Assistance ($3.3 million) and Foreign Military Financing ($2.5 million). The relatively high level of military funding can be explained by the fact that Djibouti hosts the America's sole military base in Africa.
 
In FY 2010, USAID began supporting the development of early warning information systems to inform Djibouti decision makers of problems in order to combat the chronic food insecurity cause by a harsh climate and flash flooding within the country.
 
In 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility arrangement with Djibouti, thereby immediately qualifying the country for the disbursement of US$2.3 million.
 
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Controversies

Djibouti Government Refuses Somali Refugees

According to afrol news, in November 2009, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that Djibouti authorities forced 40 asylum seekers from Somalia, who had been seeking refuge in Yemen, onto a plane back to the Somali capital. Thousands of migrants have been reported to have braved the 30-hour journey to Yemen with little food or water. Yemen authorities refused to accept them and Djibouti at first agreed to take them in, but then returned them to Somalia. The insurgency of Somali’s radical Islamist radical group, Al Shabab, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with 1 million internally displaced people in the Horn of Africa.
 
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Human Rights

Djibouti is a republic with a strong elected president and a weak legislature. In 2005, President Ismail Omar Guelleh won reelection unopposed, because the opposition party boycotted the polls. International observers considered the election to be generally free and fair. However, there is no independent electoral commission, so voting is vulnerable to abuse and manipulation. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces. The human-rights record of the authoritarian regime of previous ruler, Hassan Gouled Aptdion, came increasingly under attack in the late-1980s and 90s, with allegations of beatings, rapes, arbitrary, prolonged, and incommunicado detentions, extra-judicial killings and disappearances of political/ethnic opponents of Gouled, and union leaders. Journalists have also been harassed, intimidated, and detained. 

 
The government’s human rights record remains poor, although some improvements have been made. Problems included abuse of detainees; harsh prison conditions; corruption; official impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention; prolonged pretrial detention; interference with privacy rights and restrictions on freedom of the press, assembly, and association. For example, although registered political parties are allowed to publish newspapers and journals that criticize the government, the government intimidates journalists through surveillance, the removal from newsstands of critical publications, and the arrest and detention of journalists. Other abuses included female genital mutilation, discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and nationality, and restrictions on the rights of workers to form labor unions. Prison conditions have improved recently with the construction of new facilities, and the government also publicized women’s rights and supported a new center to protect women at risk from abuse.
 
Torture and Prison Centers
Reports from 2008 revealed continued occasional allegations that police were beating detainees despite the constitution and the law prohibiting such practices. Prison conditions in the same year were showing signs of improvement, with increased financial support allowing for adequate prisoner access to water and sanitary facilities. According to prison officials, prison access was granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for annual inspections three times a year.
 
Interference with Privacy
Although the consititution and law prohibit the government from interfering arbitrarily with privacy, these laws were not respected. Reports from 2008 reveal that the government was monitoring communications and sometimes cutting telephone service of government opponents.
 
Freedom of Speech, Press and Religion
The constitution and the law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, however, there were several cases in 2008 where the government did not respect these lawsThe government owns the radio and television stations. The official media does not generally criticize government leaders or policy. There is no regular opposition newspaper and the government owns the principal newspaper, La Nation, which is published four times a week. The state religion is Islam as declared by the constitution, however freedom of religion is provided for by the constitution. More than 99 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim and culture norms effectively discourage public proselytizing.
 
IDP’s and Refugees
A border dispute with Eritrea became hostile in June of 2008 and has caused the displacement of at least 207 families living in the north of Djibouti near the border. In the same year, the government also established a system for protecting refugees under the National Eligibility Commission, first formed in 1978 in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol. While cooperation between the government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued to improve in providing assistance to refugees, organizational difficulties and resource constraints prevented quality service to refugees. Refugees reported that they could not obtain work permits and were also subject to arbitrary arrest and detention.
 
Political Participation
Citiezns are granted the right to change their government peacefully by the constitution, and citizens are free to align themselves with the party of their choice since a multiparty system does exist in Djibouti.
 
Government Corruption
The government has not implemented laws providing for criminal penalties for official corruption effectively, and officials have occasionally engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. While legislative texts were publicly available through the online official journal, there were no laws providing for public access to government information.
 
Government revenues rose in the most important sectors of the economy from the privatization of port, airport, and customs operations. Public officials were not subject to financial disclosure laws.
 
Women’s Rights
The number of rape cases reported or prosecuted during 2008 is unknown; however the law includes sentences for up to 20 years for rapists. However, there is no law against spousal rape. There are few reports of police intervening in domestic violence incidents, and the media only reported the most extreme cases, such as murder. Prostitution is considered illegal, but it remains an issue in Djibouti. Refugees and girls from poor families were at a greater risk in 2008 of becoming street prostitutes. The law does not prohibit sexual harassment.
 
Women possess full civil rights by law, however cultural and traditional practices disriminate in education which results in a secondary role for women in public life, and also in lower employment rates for women. There was however an increase in the presence of women in the government, legislature, and business in 2008, which had a significant positive effect on women’s role in society.
 
Children’s Rights
While the government increased its spending on education and health in 2008, enrollment was not universal. The government provided tuition-free education, and relied on a few charitable organizations to support children and encouraged others to join the effort, however, extra expenses kept poor families from enrolling their children. Child abuse existed in 2008; however it was not frequently reported or prosecuted. In April 2008, the government issued international arrest warrants for five French nationals on allegations of child sexual abuse. Female genital mutilation was reported as being performed widely on young girls; however some reports indicate that the government recently made efforts to stop the practice.
 
Child marriage occurred in some rural areas in 2008, but it was not considered a significant problem. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Family, Welfare, and Social Affairs worked with women’s groups of Djibouti to protect the rights of girls.
 
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Debate
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Past Ambassadors

Jerrold M. North

Appointment: Sep 26, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 27, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 27, 1982
 
Alvin P. Adams, Jr.
Appointment: Apr 28, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 16, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 20, 1985
Note: Adams also served as ambassador to Haiti, from 1989 to 1992, and to Peru, from 1993 to 1996. 
 
John Pierce Ferriter
Appointment: Aug 1, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 30, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 27, 1987
 
Note: John E. McAteer served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Aug 1987–Sep 1988.
 
Robert South Barrett IV
Appointment: Jul 11, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 5, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 18, 1991
 
Charles R. Baquet, III
Appointment: Mar 25, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 10, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post, Dec 9, 1993
 
Martin L. Cheshes
Appointment: Nov 22, 1993
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 19, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 30, 1996
 
Note: The following officers then served as Chargés d'Affaires ad interim: Joseph Philippe Gregoire (Jul–Sep 1996) and Terri Robl (Sep 1996–Jan 1998)
 
Lange Schermerhorn
Appointment: Nov 10, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 26, 1998
Termination of Mission: Left post Nov 17, 2000
 
Donald Y. Yamamoto
Appointment: Sep 15, 2000
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 9, 2000
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 16, 2003
 
Marguerita Dianne Ragsdale
Appointment: Dec 12, 2003
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 23, 2004
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 17, 2006
 
W. Stuart Symington
Confirmed by Senate: 2006
Termination of Mission: 2008
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Djibouti's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Olhaye, Roble

Roble Olhaye, who in addition to being Djibouti’s ambassador to the U.S. is also ambassador to Canada and Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the United Nations, was born in 1944.   Olhaye graduated from the Commercial School of Addis Ababa, Ehtiopia, in 1964 with an Intermediate Diploma in Commerce. He qualified as a professional accountant in England in 1972. Olhaye began his career in 1964, holding positions in auditing, accountancy and taxation in Ethiopia. He stayed in that field until 1973, when he was appointed Regional Chief Accountant for TAW International Leasing Corporation in Nairobi. He became Financial Director, Africa, for that firm in 1975. In 1982, he founded the Banque de Djibouti et du Moyen Orient, S.A., as a joint venture with another bank in the Middle East. Earlier, he had served as an independent consultant concentrating on financial issues.

 
Olhaye’s public service career began in the early 1980s. From 1980 to 1985 he was Honorary Consul of Djibouti to Kenya, during which time the two countries established diplomatic relations. From 1986 to 1988, Olhaye served as Djibouti’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in, Nairobi. In 1988, he was appointed ambassador to the U.N. and to the U.S., posts he has held ever since. During his term in office, Mr. Olhaye has represented his country in the Security Council, served as President of the Council (February 1994) and Chairman of the Sanctions Committee established by Security Council resolution 841 on Haiti. In August 1994, as a member of the Security Council Mission to Mozambique, he assisted in the process towards democratic elections. He has also participated in numerous international conferences and meetings As the longest-serving ambassador to the Unites States, Olhaye  holds the post of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington D.C.
 

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Djibouti's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
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U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti

Kelly, Tom
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Thomas P. Kelly III appeared before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on May 13, 2014, as it considered his nomination, five weeks earlier, by President Barack Obama to be the U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, a small East African nation that hosts Camp Lemonnier, headquarters for U.S. Africa Command’s Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, the only U.S. military forward operating site in sub-Saharan Africa. It would be the first ambassadorial posting for the career civil servant.

 

Kelly grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, and attended college at Georgetown, earning a B.S. in Foreign Service and an M.A. in Latin American Studies in 1984.

 

He joined the State Department in 1985, with his first overseas posting coming that year in San Salvador, El Salvador, where he served for two years. He returned to Washington in 1988, and served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Then in 1990, he went to Santiago, Chile, staying there until 1993. The following year, he took time out to earn another degree, this one an M.A. in economics from Stanford. After that, he was sent to Paris, where he was trade attaché until 1998.

 

Kelly returned to Washington to be director for Japan Policy Planning at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. He held that post until 2000, when he returned to Latin America, this time to Ecuador, where he was the economic officer and subsequently economic counselor at the embassy in Quito.

 

In 2004, Kelly was named deputy chief of mission for the embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, staying there until 2010, when he assumed a similar post in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kelly was then named consul general in São Paulo, Brazil, remaining there until the following year.

 

He then returned to Washington, where he was acting assistant secretary (principal deputy assistant secretary) for the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. In that role, he worked in coordination with Defense Department officials on regional security issues. Among these were maritime security issues, such as pirates off the coast of Somalia, making him familiar with the region of Africa in which he is to serve.

 

Kelly and his wife, Elsa Amaya-Kelly, have a son, Sean, and a daughter, Chantal. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Lithuanian.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

Official Biography

Statement of Thomas P. Kelly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (pdf)

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Previous U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti

Pasi, Geeta
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A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Geeta Pasi received her first-ever nomination to serve as ambassador—to the small but strategically-located East African nation of Djibouti—in April 2011.

 
Originally from New York State, Pasi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1984, and two years later, she earned a Master of Arts in French studies from New York University.
 
Before joining the Foreign Service in 1988, Pasi worked as an institutional financial market researcher in New York.
 
Her previous overseas assignments have included: political and economic officer at the U.S. Consulate in Douala, Cameroon; human rights and consular officer in Bucharest, Romania; political chief in Accra, Ghana; and political military officer at the embassy in New Delhi, India.
 
Her duties in Washington, DC, at the State Department have been desk officer Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, and for Afghanistan, as well as line officer in the Executive Secretariat. She began work at the Afghanistan Desk on July 30, 2001, while the Taliban were still in power. The next day, two American women were arrested and threatened with execution for proselytizing Christianity. Less than two and a half months later, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.
 
Pasi served as deputy principal officer and acting consul general at the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. From 2006 to 2009, she was the deputy chief of mission and chargé d’ affaires at the embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 
At the time of her nomination to become ambassador to Djibouti, Pasi was director of East African affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs.  
 
Her foreign languages include French, Hindi, Romanian and German.

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Overview

Djibouti is small, impoverished, arid country in Northeast Africa with few natural resources and little industry. Since gaining independence from France in 1977, the country’s significance within the international community has grown to depend solely on its geographical location at the southern end of the Red Sea, across from the southwestern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. The capital, Djibouti City, boasts an international port whose transport facilities are used by several landlocked African countries to fly their goods in for re-export.The activity at the port generates much-needed transit taxes and harbour fees for Djibouti. Djibouti also hosts the only American military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier, which has taken on a more prominent role owing to recent turmoil in Somalia, and the Horn of Africa generally, as well as the Middle East..

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Basic Information

Lay of the Land: Djibouti lies in Northeast Africa, also termed the Horn of Africa, on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. Djibouti has a 195 mile long coastline, and borders Eritrea to the north, Ethiopia to the west, and Somalia to the south. With an area of 8,958 square miles, Djibouti is about the size of the state of Massachusetts. The capital and largest city is Djibouti City, which is home to two-thirds of the population. The rest of the country is divided into five regions: the Ali Sabieh Region, the Arta Region, the Dikhil Region, the Obock Region, and the Tadjourah Region. These outlying five regions are home to the remaining third of the population, most of whom are nomadic pastoralists. Owing to its arid climate of stony desert, scattered plateaus, and highlands, Djibouti produces little food, and must rely on imports to feed its population. 

 
Population: 864,000 (2009 estimate)
 
Religions: The majority of Djibouti’s population is Muslim (Sunni) at approximately 96%, while the remaining 4% of the population are Christian, non-religious, or Baha'i.
 
Ethnic Groups: Somali (Issa) 60%, Afar 35%, other 5% (includes French, Arab, Ethiopian, and Italian).
 
Languages: Afar 64%, Somali 62.3%, Ta'izzi-Adeni Arabic 11.1%, French (official) 3.3%, Arabic (official).
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History

Nomadic people who recorded their history through poetry and song have inhabited Djibouti for thousands of years. In ancient times, Djiboutian people traded hides and skins for the perfumes and spices of ancient Egypt, India, and China. For thousands of years these Djiboutian traders were in close contact with the Arabian Peninsula, which lies only twelve miles across the Gulf of Aden. Due to this close contact with the Arabian Peninsula, the Issa and Afar peoples in this region became among the first Africans to accept Islam.

 
During the late 19th century era of European imperial expansion and competition, when the area was ruled by the sultan of Raheita, Tadjoura and Gobaad, France gained a foothold in the horn of Africa when it purchased the anchorage of Obock in 1862. The administrative capital was moved from Obock to Djibouti in 1892. The French eventually expanded the anchorage to a colony called French Somaliland, with essentially the current boundaries. In 1967, the area became the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas. 
 
After World War II, French Somaliland gradually gained a measure of local autonomy, including limited self-rule in 1957 and French overseas territory status in 1958, which allowed the people to elect one deputy and one senator to the French National Assembly. The majority Issas, however, complained that the territory’s citizenship law favored the minority Afars, who favored association with France and feared domination by the Issas. Indeed, the Issas led the country’s independence movement throughout the postwar period. Finally, in 1975, the territory’s citizenship law was revised to admit more Issas, who on May 1977 voted decisively for independence, which was officially established on June 27, 1977. Hassan Gouled Aptidon, the territory’s premier, had been elected the nation's first president by the territorial Chamber of Deputies three days earlier. Although Gouled, an Issa, appointed Afar premiers and a roughly balanced cabinet, the dominance of the Issas in administration led to political conflict, including cabinet crises and, during the 1990s, a civil war.
 
Dissatisfaction with Gouled grew in the late 1980s and contributed to an uprising by Afar guerrillas of the Front for the Restoration of Unity and Democracy (FRUD) in late 1991. The civil war that broke out in November of 1991 was in reaction to the lack of Afar presence in the government despite the sizeable percentage of Afar population in Djibouti. In February 1992, government forces received aid from some French troops and from French mediation attempts, which were unsuccessful. Fighting continued until peace accords were signed in December 1994 between a moderate faction of the FRUD and the government. The majority of the FRUD disarmed and the military integrated a segment of the insurgents into its ranks. Two FRUD leaders accepted ministerial posts, and the FRUD was given legal recognition as a political party. 
 
The 1999 election of current Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh, a longtime key advisor and chief of staff to former President Gouled, signaled little change in the status quo. As the nephew of former President Gouled, he was chosen as the joint candidate for the already ruling People’s Rally for Progress (RPP) and the FRUD. After the completion of Guelleh’s first six-year presidential term, he was sworn in for his second and presumably final six-year term as president during a one-man election in April of 2005 in which he received 100% of the votes.
 
The Issas of President Guelleh’s sub-clan continue to wield disproportionate political and economic influence, and the opposition's accusations of elections fraud have fallen on deaf ears. Since 2003, U.S. State Department reports have cited evidence of on-going human rights abuses by the government, but given U.S. interest in Djibouti as a strategic ally in the Middle East and the horn of Africa, aid donors are unlikely to apply strong pressure for reforms. 
 
In May 2001, the Djiboutian government leased the previous French Foreign Legion base Camp Lemonnier to the United States. The Camp acts as a United States Naval Expeditionary Base and is located at Djibouti’s International Airport. It transitioned in 2008 from United States Central Command to being home to the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Camp Lemonnier is currently the only US military infrastructure located in Africa .
 
Djibouti is a member of the Arab League, the African Union, and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
 
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History of U.S. Relations with Djibouti

Since Djibouti achieved independence in June 1977, relations between the U.S. and Djibouti have been amiable. Following Djibouti’s independence from France, Djibouti-U.S. relations have been relatively one-sided, as the U.S. is a principal provider of humanitarian assistance for famine relief, and sponsors health care, education, good governance, and security assistance programs. The Djibouti government has generally been supportive of U.S. interests within the country, as demonstrated by President Guelleh’s offer of support from his nation in the U.S. initiated War on Terror in 2001,and especially with the allowance of the U.S. constructing the military base Camp Lemonnier on Djibouti land.

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Current U.S. Relations with Djibouti

In recent years, Djibouti’s strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, across from the Southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, has made it more important to U.S. policy in North Africa and the Middle East. Djibouti has allowed the U.S. military, as well as forces from other nations, access to its port and airport facilities. The Djiboutian Government has been very supportive of U.S. interests, particularly during the Gulf War of 1990-1991 and after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. However, in early 2003, Djibouti was among the many countries that opposed military action against Iraq without a United Nations resolution. In 2002, Djibouti agreed to host a U.S. military presence at Camp Lemonnier, a former French Foreign Legion base outside the capital that now houses approximately 1,800 American personnel. The only U.S. military base in Africa, Camp Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy base, and is headquarters of U.S. military operations in the horn of Africa. U.S. service members provide humanitarian support and development and security assistance to people and governments of the Horn of Africa and Yemen. 

 
USAID funds provide for a Food For Peace program, which maintains a warehouse in Djibouti containing pre-positioned emergency food relief for expedient delivery of humanitarian assistance to famine-stricken countries from Africa to Asia.
 
USAID will ensure continued internal stability in Djibouti by supporting health and education programs that promote social equity and increase the participation of the average Djiboutian in the workplace. Additionally, the U.S. will continue support for health-activities and also will provide assistance to the Ministry of Health (MOH) to reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Part of the President’s Plan for AIDS Relief will receive funding in order to implement their goals and strategies to combat HIV/AIDS.
 
145 Djiboutians traveled to the U.S. in 2006. The number of visitors has remained between 117 (2005) and 191 (2003) in the last 5 years. 
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Where Does the Money Flow

Djibouti is a poverty stricken nation with few natural resources and little industry. The country’s greatest resource, in fact, is its strategic location on the Gulf of Aden at the southern entrance to the Red Sea. As a result, the economy of Djibouti is based on service activities connected with international maritime trade. Imports and exports from landlocked neighbor Ethiopia represent 85% of port activity at Djibouti’s container terminal. Djibouti provides services as both a transit port for the region and an international transshipment and refueling center. 

 
The nation is heavily dependent on foreign assistance to help support its balance of payments and to finance development projects, including salt mining at Lake Asal, gold mining, geothermal energy, and tourism. Capital from Dubai, specifically the multinational corporation Dubai Ports World, is being invested to greatly expand the country’s port facilities. An unemployment rate of 60% continues to be a major problem, as is a illiteracy rate estimated at 32%. Faced with a multitude of economic difficulties, the government has fallen into arrears on long-term external debt and has been struggling to meet the stipulations of foreign aid donors.
 
The United States has been partnering with Djibouti to help mitigate internal and external security threats, and the U.S. will continue to support basic education, particularly for girls, with an emphasis on lowering the high illiteracy rate. Additionally, the U.S. will support Djibouti internally by providing assistance for basic skills training, improved quality of healthcare, and provision of food aid for the vulnerable and malnourished. Externally, the U.S. has pledged to continue to help Djibouti protect its land and waters against threats of piracyand terrorism.
 
USAID activities in FY 2010 focus on economic opportunities, especially for out-of-school youth. Specifically, the U.S. has started working with the government and private sector leaders, in the words of the State Department, “ to develop vocational education and training and increase the work ethic necessary to start-up micro-enterprises and to compete in the changing labor market.” It is anticipated that this start-up activity in 2010 will provide 100 graduates of U.S.-supported vocational training in 2011 and they will be placed in jobs every year beginning in 2011.
 
Trade between the U.S. and Djibouti is fairly modest. In 2008, U.S. exports to Djibouti jumped to a totalof $140.8 million, almost $100 million more than the previous year. While wheat exports decreased from $14.5 million in 2006 to $9.5 million in 2008, rice exports increased from $161,000 in 2007 to $717,000 in 2008. Sorghum, barley and oats greatly increased from $286,000 in 2007 to $52 million in 2008. Other increases in exports to Djibouti were seen in agricultural industry-unmanufactured, going from $14 million in 2007 to $23 million in 2008, telecommunications equipment going from $688,000 in 2007 to $4 million in 2008 and civilian aircraft going from $0 in 2004 to $3.2 million in 2008.
 
Decreases in exports to Djibouti were seen in areas such as vegetables, which sank from $1.3 million in 2007 to $118,000 in 2008. Other decreases were seen in agricultural farming-unmanufactured products, which went from $2 million in 2004 to $0 in 2008. Drilling and oilfield equipment also saw a decrease from $1.2 million in 2004 to $57,000 in 2008.
 
In 2008, imports from Djibouti to the U.S. rose from $4.5 million in 2007 to a total of $7 million. Increases in imports were specifically in green coffee, which rose from $43,000 in 2004 to $995,000 in 2008. Other increased imports include nontextile apparel and household goods from $0 in 2007 to $163,000 in 2008.
 
Decreased imports were significant in computer accessories, which sank from $81,000 in 2004 to $14,000 in 2008.
 
Djibouti received $6.6 million in U.S. aid in FY 2010. The largest recipient programs were Development Assistance ($3.3 million) and Foreign Military Financing ($2.5 million). The relatively high level of military funding can be explained by the fact that Djibouti hosts the America's sole military base in Africa.
 
In FY 2010, USAID began supporting the development of early warning information systems to inform Djibouti decision makers of problems in order to combat the chronic food insecurity cause by a harsh climate and flash flooding within the country.
 
In 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the first review under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility arrangement with Djibouti, thereby immediately qualifying the country for the disbursement of US$2.3 million.
 
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Controversies

Djibouti Government Refuses Somali Refugees

According to afrol news, in November 2009, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees reported that Djibouti authorities forced 40 asylum seekers from Somalia, who had been seeking refuge in Yemen, onto a plane back to the Somali capital. Thousands of migrants have been reported to have braved the 30-hour journey to Yemen with little food or water. Yemen authorities refused to accept them and Djibouti at first agreed to take them in, but then returned them to Somalia. The insurgency of Somali’s radical Islamist radical group, Al Shabab, has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises with 1 million internally displaced people in the Horn of Africa.
 
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Human Rights

Djibouti is a republic with a strong elected president and a weak legislature. In 2005, President Ismail Omar Guelleh won reelection unopposed, because the opposition party boycotted the polls. International observers considered the election to be generally free and fair. However, there is no independent electoral commission, so voting is vulnerable to abuse and manipulation. The civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces. The human-rights record of the authoritarian regime of previous ruler, Hassan Gouled Aptdion, came increasingly under attack in the late-1980s and 90s, with allegations of beatings, rapes, arbitrary, prolonged, and incommunicado detentions, extra-judicial killings and disappearances of political/ethnic opponents of Gouled, and union leaders. Journalists have also been harassed, intimidated, and detained. 

 
The government’s human rights record remains poor, although some improvements have been made. Problems included abuse of detainees; harsh prison conditions; corruption; official impunity; arbitrary arrest and detention; prolonged pretrial detention; interference with privacy rights and restrictions on freedom of the press, assembly, and association. For example, although registered political parties are allowed to publish newspapers and journals that criticize the government, the government intimidates journalists through surveillance, the removal from newsstands of critical publications, and the arrest and detention of journalists. Other abuses included female genital mutilation, discrimination on the basis of ethnicity and nationality, and restrictions on the rights of workers to form labor unions. Prison conditions have improved recently with the construction of new facilities, and the government also publicized women’s rights and supported a new center to protect women at risk from abuse.
 
Torture and Prison Centers
Reports from 2008 revealed continued occasional allegations that police were beating detainees despite the constitution and the law prohibiting such practices. Prison conditions in the same year were showing signs of improvement, with increased financial support allowing for adequate prisoner access to water and sanitary facilities. According to prison officials, prison access was granted to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for annual inspections three times a year.
 
Interference with Privacy
Although the consititution and law prohibit the government from interfering arbitrarily with privacy, these laws were not respected. Reports from 2008 reveal that the government was monitoring communications and sometimes cutting telephone service of government opponents.
 
Freedom of Speech, Press and Religion
The constitution and the law provide for freedom of speech and of the press, however, there were several cases in 2008 where the government did not respect these lawsThe government owns the radio and television stations. The official media does not generally criticize government leaders or policy. There is no regular opposition newspaper and the government owns the principal newspaper, La Nation, which is published four times a week. The state religion is Islam as declared by the constitution, however freedom of religion is provided for by the constitution. More than 99 percent of the population is Sunni Muslim and culture norms effectively discourage public proselytizing.
 
IDP’s and Refugees
A border dispute with Eritrea became hostile in June of 2008 and has caused the displacement of at least 207 families living in the north of Djibouti near the border. In the same year, the government also established a system for protecting refugees under the National Eligibility Commission, first formed in 1978 in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 protocol. While cooperation between the government and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continued to improve in providing assistance to refugees, organizational difficulties and resource constraints prevented quality service to refugees. Refugees reported that they could not obtain work permits and were also subject to arbitrary arrest and detention.
 
Political Participation
Citiezns are granted the right to change their government peacefully by the constitution, and citizens are free to align themselves with the party of their choice since a multiparty system does exist in Djibouti.
 
Government Corruption
The government has not implemented laws providing for criminal penalties for official corruption effectively, and officials have occasionally engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. While legislative texts were publicly available through the online official journal, there were no laws providing for public access to government information.
 
Government revenues rose in the most important sectors of the economy from the privatization of port, airport, and customs operations. Public officials were not subject to financial disclosure laws.
 
Women’s Rights
The number of rape cases reported or prosecuted during 2008 is unknown; however the law includes sentences for up to 20 years for rapists. However, there is no law against spousal rape. There are few reports of police intervening in domestic violence incidents, and the media only reported the most extreme cases, such as murder. Prostitution is considered illegal, but it remains an issue in Djibouti. Refugees and girls from poor families were at a greater risk in 2008 of becoming street prostitutes. The law does not prohibit sexual harassment.
 
Women possess full civil rights by law, however cultural and traditional practices disriminate in education which results in a secondary role for women in public life, and also in lower employment rates for women. There was however an increase in the presence of women in the government, legislature, and business in 2008, which had a significant positive effect on women’s role in society.
 
Children’s Rights
While the government increased its spending on education and health in 2008, enrollment was not universal. The government provided tuition-free education, and relied on a few charitable organizations to support children and encouraged others to join the effort, however, extra expenses kept poor families from enrolling their children. Child abuse existed in 2008; however it was not frequently reported or prosecuted. In April 2008, the government issued international arrest warrants for five French nationals on allegations of child sexual abuse. Female genital mutilation was reported as being performed widely on young girls; however some reports indicate that the government recently made efforts to stop the practice.
 
Child marriage occurred in some rural areas in 2008, but it was not considered a significant problem. The Ministry for the Promotion of Women, Family, Welfare, and Social Affairs worked with women’s groups of Djibouti to protect the rights of girls.
 
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Debate
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Past Ambassadors

Jerrold M. North

Appointment: Sep 26, 1980
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 27, 1980
Termination of Mission: Left post Aug 27, 1982
 
Alvin P. Adams, Jr.
Appointment: Apr 28, 1983
Presentation of Credentials: Jul 16, 1983
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 20, 1985
Note: Adams also served as ambassador to Haiti, from 1989 to 1992, and to Peru, from 1993 to 1996. 
 
John Pierce Ferriter
Appointment: Aug 1, 1985
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 30, 1985
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 27, 1987
 
Note: John E. McAteer served as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, Aug 1987–Sep 1988.
 
Robert South Barrett IV
Appointment: Jul 11, 1988
Presentation of Credentials: Sep 5, 1988
Termination of Mission: Left post, Apr 18, 1991
 
Charles R. Baquet, III
Appointment: Mar 25, 1991
Presentation of Credentials: Oct 10, 1991
Termination of Mission: Left post, Dec 9, 1993
 
Martin L. Cheshes
Appointment: Nov 22, 1993
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 19, 1994
Termination of Mission: Left post, Jul 30, 1996
 
Note: The following officers then served as Chargés d'Affaires ad interim: Joseph Philippe Gregoire (Jul–Sep 1996) and Terri Robl (Sep 1996–Jan 1998)
 
Lange Schermerhorn
Appointment: Nov 10, 1997
Presentation of Credentials: Jan 26, 1998
Termination of Mission: Left post Nov 17, 2000
 
Donald Y. Yamamoto
Appointment: Sep 15, 2000
Presentation of Credentials: Dec 9, 2000
Termination of Mission: Left post Jun 16, 2003
 
Marguerita Dianne Ragsdale
Appointment: Dec 12, 2003
Presentation of Credentials: Feb 23, 2004
Termination of Mission: Left post, Aug 17, 2006
 
W. Stuart Symington
Confirmed by Senate: 2006
Termination of Mission: 2008
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Djibouti's Ambassador to the U.S.
ambassador-image Olhaye, Roble

Roble Olhaye, who in addition to being Djibouti’s ambassador to the U.S. is also ambassador to Canada and Permanent Representative of Djibouti to the United Nations, was born in 1944.   Olhaye graduated from the Commercial School of Addis Ababa, Ehtiopia, in 1964 with an Intermediate Diploma in Commerce. He qualified as a professional accountant in England in 1972. Olhaye began his career in 1964, holding positions in auditing, accountancy and taxation in Ethiopia. He stayed in that field until 1973, when he was appointed Regional Chief Accountant for TAW International Leasing Corporation in Nairobi. He became Financial Director, Africa, for that firm in 1975. In 1982, he founded the Banque de Djibouti et du Moyen Orient, S.A., as a joint venture with another bank in the Middle East. Earlier, he had served as an independent consultant concentrating on financial issues.

 
Olhaye’s public service career began in the early 1980s. From 1980 to 1985 he was Honorary Consul of Djibouti to Kenya, during which time the two countries established diplomatic relations. From 1986 to 1988, Olhaye served as Djibouti’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) in, Nairobi. In 1988, he was appointed ambassador to the U.N. and to the U.S., posts he has held ever since. During his term in office, Mr. Olhaye has represented his country in the Security Council, served as President of the Council (February 1994) and Chairman of the Sanctions Committee established by Security Council resolution 841 on Haiti. In August 1994, as a member of the Security Council Mission to Mozambique, he assisted in the process towards democratic elections. He has also participated in numerous international conferences and meetings As the longest-serving ambassador to the Unites States, Olhaye  holds the post of Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Washington D.C.
 

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Djibouti's Embassy Web Site in the U.S.
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U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti

Kelly, Tom
ambassador-image

 

Thomas P. Kelly III appeared before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on May 13, 2014, as it considered his nomination, five weeks earlier, by President Barack Obama to be the U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti, a small East African nation that hosts Camp Lemonnier, headquarters for U.S. Africa Command’s Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa, the only U.S. military forward operating site in sub-Saharan Africa. It would be the first ambassadorial posting for the career civil servant.

 

Kelly grew up in Manhattan Beach, California, and attended college at Georgetown, earning a B.S. in Foreign Service and an M.A. in Latin American Studies in 1984.

 

He joined the State Department in 1985, with his first overseas posting coming that year in San Salvador, El Salvador, where he served for two years. He returned to Washington in 1988, and served in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. Then in 1990, he went to Santiago, Chile, staying there until 1993. The following year, he took time out to earn another degree, this one an M.A. in economics from Stanford. After that, he was sent to Paris, where he was trade attaché until 1998.

 

Kelly returned to Washington to be director for Japan Policy Planning at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. He held that post until 2000, when he returned to Latin America, this time to Ecuador, where he was the economic officer and subsequently economic counselor at the embassy in Quito.

 

In 2004, Kelly was named deputy chief of mission for the embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, staying there until 2010, when he assumed a similar post in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Kelly was then named consul general in São Paulo, Brazil, remaining there until the following year.

 

He then returned to Washington, where he was acting assistant secretary (principal deputy assistant secretary) for the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. In that role, he worked in coordination with Defense Department officials on regional security issues. Among these were maritime security issues, such as pirates off the coast of Somalia, making him familiar with the region of Africa in which he is to serve.

 

Kelly and his wife, Elsa Amaya-Kelly, have a son, Sean, and a daughter, Chantal. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, French and Lithuanian.

-Steve Straehley

 

To Learn More:

Official Biography

Statement of Thomas P. Kelly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (pdf)

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Previous U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti

Pasi, Geeta
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A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Geeta Pasi received her first-ever nomination to serve as ambassador—to the small but strategically-located East African nation of Djibouti—in April 2011.

 
Originally from New York State, Pasi received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University in 1984, and two years later, she earned a Master of Arts in French studies from New York University.
 
Before joining the Foreign Service in 1988, Pasi worked as an institutional financial market researcher in New York.
 
Her previous overseas assignments have included: political and economic officer at the U.S. Consulate in Douala, Cameroon; human rights and consular officer in Bucharest, Romania; political chief in Accra, Ghana; and political military officer at the embassy in New Delhi, India.
 
Her duties in Washington, DC, at the State Department have been desk officer Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, and for Afghanistan, as well as line officer in the Executive Secretariat. She began work at the Afghanistan Desk on July 30, 2001, while the Taliban were still in power. The next day, two American women were arrested and threatened with execution for proselytizing Christianity. Less than two and a half months later, the U.S. invaded Afghanistan.
 
Pasi served as deputy principal officer and acting consul general at the U.S. consulate in Frankfurt, Germany. From 2006 to 2009, she was the deputy chief of mission and chargé d’ affaires at the embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
 
At the time of her nomination to become ambassador to Djibouti, Pasi was director of East African affairs in the State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs.  
 
Her foreign languages include French, Hindi, Romanian and German.

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