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The AU wants Africa to manufacture and export finished products to its trading partners rather than just selling them the raw materials as it does now. She cited China, India, the EU and US and other rising stars in trade with the continent, including Turkey and Latin America, and said the AU had held talks on the new breed of partnerships with some of them. The AU also wants Africa to have a veto-wielding seat on the UN Security Council, and a place at the G20 negotiating table, Ali said. The peace and security that have eluded Africa for decades...

The Arab League voted to suspend SyriaÂ’s membership at its meeting on Saturday and said it would impose economic and political sanctions against the regime of Bashar al-Assad as well as call for the withdrawal of Arab ambassadors from Damascus. The Arab foreign ministers meeting at the LeagueÂ’s headquarters in Cairo also called on the Syrian army to cease its involvement in the killing of civilians and invited the Syrian opposition for transition talks. Opponents of Assad were hoping that the Arab League would suspend SyriaÂ’s membership after Assad pressed ahead with a military crackdown on the unrest despite an...

Someone please help me solve a mystery. Several news reports, including the one at the link below, contained this paragraph regarding the walkout at Ahmadinejad's UN speech on Thursday. "The two U.S. diplomats, who specialize in the Middle East, were followed out of the chamber by diplomats from more than 30 countries. They included the 27 European Union members, Australia, New Zealand, Somalia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino and Macedonia, a U.N. diplomat said. Israel boycotted the speech." It seems very strange that Somalia, a Muslim country, would walk -- the only one to do so. I've googled until my eyes...

The Chadian government on Wednesday made it clear that it will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in arresting three Libyan officials named by the tribunal's chief prosecutor as suspects in the violent crackdown against protestors that took place last February... Omer Yahya, the press adviser for Chadian president Idriss Deby, told the London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper that his country is committed to the African Union (AU) decision instructing members not to cooperate with the ICC in arresting Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who is also wanted by the court. The Chadian official suggested that the decision applies...

Djibouti has told the United States that an independent election observer mission is "illegal" and suspended its partnership with the US-funded mission. The news came amid reports that the north-east African coastal state had arrested two opposition leaders on Friday. Democracy International (DI), which has a $2.2m, eight-man team in the tiny strategic state, provides the only international technical assistance and observation group in the country, which has been ruled by the same dynasty since independence. The increasing visibility of the Djibouti's anti-democratic leanings is awkward for the US, which relies on the country for its only military base on...

There is a general agreement among academics, journalists and policy makers that piracy cannot be defeated at sea. It has to be fought on land. Since the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is too weak to do so, many point to regional states as potential partners of the international community. Especially Puntland seems to be a good candidate, given that many pirates operate from its territory. However, some experts claim that the Puntland authorities are in fact involved in piracy... Puntland was established in 1998 as an autonomous state in Somalia. Local politicians, civil society and clan leaders had decided not...

Recent events in Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt spell a dangerous new trend in the region. There have been major developments in Tunisia, Lebanon and Egypt, each of which is of tremendous importance. In Tunisia, a popular uprising fueled by unemployment, economic suffering and long-term discontent has overthrown the dictator, but not necessarily the dictatorship. In 55 years of independence, the country has been governed by two dictators, the current one being Zine al-Abedin Ben Ali, who has been president for 23 years and was a key power in the regime even before that. Is this going to spread? Does it...

The United States has signed a deal with Bhutan giving US citizens in the country immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC), the State Department said Tuesday. The deal with Bhutan brings to 34 the number of countries with which the United States has signed so-called "Article 98" agreements exempting US citizens from the court's jurisdiction, said Lynn Cassel, a department spokesman. Bhutan and Bosnia-Herzegovina both agreed to the pacts on May 16 but the deal with Thimphu was not announced until Tuesday. Washington refuses to support the ICC, arguing that it could become a forum for politically...

  "Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel, God with us. ... Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." — George Frideric Handel, "Messiah" WASHINGTON — This magnificent musical work penned by Handel in 1741 is heard all around the world in this season. His powerful lyrics are drawn directly from the Bible and remind us all to be thankful for the birth, sacrifice and resurrection of the Lamb of God.In our family Christmas tradition, Handel's oratorio is performed at our Christmas Eve...

Iranian ships and submarines have deployed an undisclosed number of Iranian troops and weapons at the Eritrean port town of Assab, according to opposition groups, foreign diplomats, and NGOs in the area. The city of Assab sits at the Horn of Africa in the Arabian Sea. As such, Assab offers a strategic position as the world nervously eyes the precarious routes through which a seaborne oil traverses daily. Local sources have reported that Iran recently sent soldiers and a large number of long-range and ballistic missiles. The military basing came after Iran signed an accord with Eritrea to revamp the...

JIBOUTI, Nov. 16 — For the first time since American troops withdrew from Somalia after a bloody firefight in the streets of Mogadishu, the United States military is rebuilding its combat power in the horn of Africa. The main goal this time is to put American forces in position to strike cells of Al Qaeda in Yemen or East Africa. But the Pentagon has also begun to use Djibouti to train its forces in desert warfare — skills that could be applied in Washington's campaign against terrorist groups or on the battlefields of Iraq. "We are getting heavy weapons ashore...

A 26-year-old Chicago man was trying to help finance al-Qaida and hoped to blow himself up in a suicide mission, authorities say. Shaker Masri was arrested Tuesday evening and charged by federal prosecutors on Wednesday with knowingly intending to use a weapon of mass destruction outside the United States. Authorities said Masri told an FBI informant that he planned to go to Somalia and help al-Qaida, and asked the informant for money to help buy guns once they got there. He also told the informant that he hoped to become a martyr by wearing a suicide vest, the criminal complaint...

Chinese warships participating in anti-piracy operations off Somalia have been giving their ships five day breaks at three ports (in Oman, Djibouti and Yemen). The ships take on fuel and provisions, and the crews get some time ashore. Other foreign warships off Somalia are also doing this, even though some of them have support ships that can reprovision and refuel warships while underway. The Chinese government is content with these arrangements, but many Chinese admirals are not. For nearly a year now, Chinese admirals have been pushing their government to help them establish a support base near the Persian Gulf....

Japan plans to establish a $40 million strategic naval base in the Horn of Africa state of Djibouti, where U.S. and French forces are deployed to combat al-Qaida jihadists. The facility, intended to boost the fight against Somali pirates preying on vital shipping lanes, will be Japan's first foreign military base since World War II. "This will be the only Japanese base outside our country and the first in Africa," said Japanese navy Capt. Keizo Kitagawa, commander of the Japanese flotilla deployed with the international anti-piracy task force in the Gulf of Aden. He will oversee establishment of the base....

In its budget request for the State Department for the 2010 financial year, the Obama administration proposed significant increases in funding for US arms sales and military training programmes for African countries, as well as for regional programmes on the continent, and is expected to propose further increases in its budget request for the 2011 financial year. The 2010 budget proposed to increase foreign military funding spending for Africa by more than 300 per cent, from just over US$8.2 million to more than US$25.5 million, with additional increases in funding for North African countries. Major recipients included Chad, the Democratic...

SNIPPET: "08:20 GMT, April 2, 2010 defpro.com | The African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the none-militant Somali Islamists Ahlu Sunna wal Jama'a, which has ties with Somali government, have warned of simultaneous terrorist attacks by al-Shabaab militants in Mogadishu and in some neighbouring states including Kenya and Djibouti. The spokesman for the moderate Islamist group, Sheik Abdullahi Sheik Abdurahman Abu Yusuf, said in a press conference in the central Somali town of Dhusamareeb late Thursday that his intelligence services have gained reliable information that al-Shabaab are in the final preparations of planned terror attacks which will be...

SNIPPET: "Subject line: "How long will Spencer Be free":"

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, July 28, 2009 – Richard Nixon became the 37th president of the United States, gas cost 35 cents per gallon, the New York Mets won the World Series in five games over the Baltimore Orioles, and Catharine Zeta-Jones, Brett Favre, Renee Zellweger and Jennifer Aniston were born. The year was 1969. Army Brig. Gen. Chris Leins, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa deputy commander, presents Army Sgt. Maj. Samuel Stoner with the Legion of Merit Medal for exceptionally meritorious service during his 40-year career of service, July 21, 2009. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd...

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, April 13, 2009 – For U.S. Africa Command’s new deputy director of operations and logistics, the words “I can’t do it” won’t cut it. Not from his soldiers, not from the people he serves with, and certainly not from himself. And this Army National Guardsman, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt “Rose” Barfield, knows what it means to be able to “do it.” Barfield was encouraged by a friend to enlist in the Army National Guard fresh out of high school at the age of 17. He served for five years as a soldier in the Kansas Guard while...

BARACK OBAMA PIRATE SONG

Federal agents searched three money-transfer businesses in Minneapolis on Wednesday, carrying away boxes of documents and copying computer hard drives in a quest for details of financial transactions between the U.S. and several African nations. Agents searched Mustaqbal Express, also known as North American Money Transfer Inc.; Quran Express; and Aaran Financial. FBI spokesman E.K. Wilson confirmed the searches but wouldn't elaborate on the reason.

February 25, 2009 Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called on Islamic countries across the world to build a united barrier against the 'enemy plots'. "Unity and cooperation between Muslim states will thwart the enemy plot to sow discord between Muslims and spread hegemony over them," President Ahmadinejad said in a meeting with President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh on Tuesday...

The United States has agreed to deploy radiation detectors at a major port in Djibouti as part of an ongoing effort to deter smuggling of potential nuclear weapons materials, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced today (see GSN, Dec. 6). "This agreement highlights the shared commitment of the United States and the Republic of Djibouti to combat nuclear terrorism," NNSA Deputy Administrator William Tobey said in a press release. "The Port of Djibouti plays an important role in the global maritime shipping system by linking Europe, the Far East, Africa and the Persian Gulf. Djibouti's strategic location as a...

eavy fighting erupted today in Mogadishu between insurgents and AMISOM peacekeepers at a base of the African Union peace mission in Somalia, witnesses told the local media. Based on these accounts, a commando fired rocket propelled grenades in the KM4 base, a key crossing in southern Mogadishu. Radio Shabelle reports that it is unknown if there were any casualties. News is also unclear from the Afgoi district, in the Lower Shabelle region that surrounds Mogadishu: according to some local reporters, a blast severely damaged an Ethiopian military truck. Somalia, torn by a never resolved civil war since 1991, is in...

His Holiness Abune Dioskoros, Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church, who is currently in Europe on spiritual visit, said that the Eritrea people have religions of their own dating back to centuries on the basis of which they have been coexisting in peace and harmony. And as such, they are not in need of any religion from foreigners, he elaborated. During his stay in the Italian city of Milan from December 5 to 8, the Patriarch was accorded warm welcome by heads of the Office of the Eritrean Consul General, the Synod of the St. Mary Church and a...

On the same day Somali gunmen seized two more ships, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct land and air attacks on pirate bases on the coast of the Horn of Africa country. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was on hand to push through the resolution, one of President George W. Bush's last major foreign policy initiatives. Rice said the resolution will have a significant impact, especially since "pirates are adapting to the naval presence in the Gulf of Aden by traveling further" into sea lanes not guarded by warships sent by the U.S. and...

[Pan-Arabism = tyranny - racism] Eritrea Slams... IGAD as Tool of Anti-African Policies Oct 28, 2008 ... IGAD member states include a bunch of derelict or failed states that consist in the epitome of malfunction, ferocity and malignancy. With Eritrea having wisely suspended its participation in this nest of snakes in 2007, IGAD represents the illegal interests of the undemocratic and terrorist governments of Abyssinia, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and Uganda. The six (6) countries´ names are the most loathed (by the inhabitants of the respective countries) country names throughout the globe. In fact, Abyssinia, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya and...

On the other side of the Red Sea in the south-west corner of the Arabian peninsula, Yemen has natural gas reserves and is trying to lure investment from its wealthy neighbours. But the country suffers from a shortage of fresh water and is beset by economic hardship, a persistent al-Qaeda menace and a Shia rebellion in the north. It takes a leap of faith to believe that a private initiative can raise $200bn for what would be the world's biggest engineering project to link the two countries. Plans are afoot for such a scheme, however. The grandiose project is the...

ON THE DJIBOUTIAN-ERITREAN BORDER — The distance between the rival armies is shorter than the barrel of a gun. Hundreds of opposing troops are lined up on the border, staring each other down, from just inches away. On one side are the Djiboutians, a relatively well-equipped African military with combat boots, CamelBak strap-on water bottles and the occasional buttery croissant in the field. On the other side are skinny Eritrean soldiers, covered in dust and wearing plastic sandals, camped out in thatch-roofed huts that look like fortified tropical bungalows. < > “No pictures, no pictures,” one Eritrean soldier yelled....

By focusing on poverty and security, the Bush administration's partnerships with Africans to combat international terrorism are moving in the right direction, says diplomat-turned-scholar David Shinn. A career Foreign Service officer who served as U.S. ambassador to Burkina Faso and later to Ethiopia, Shinn now teaches young Americans about Africa as an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs in Washington. "No country outside Africa has done more than the U.S. to combat terrorism on the continent," Shinn told more than 300 participants on the second day of the November 15-16 National Defense University (NDU) conference...

PARIS — Elite French troops were headed to East Africa to bolster efforts to free captives of a yacht held by pirates off Somalia, a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said today. A team of the GIGN, a commando force that conducts anti-terrorist and hostage rescue operations, was being sent to Djibouti to "reinforce" negotiation teams in place, spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said in an online briefing. Pirates seized the yacht, called Le Ponant, in the Gulf of Aden on Friday. It was carrying 30 crew members, including 22 French citizens, but no passengers. French officials made contact with the pirates overnight....

Soldiers become American citizens in Africa DJIBOUTI (March 16, 2008) — Seven Soldiers supporting the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa mission became U.S. citizens during a Military Naturalization Ceremony at the U.S. Embassy March 13. After enlisting in the Army and serving the United States, Four Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry (Light), Delta Company, and three Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, Delta Company, raised their right hands and said the Oath of Allegiance. During the ceremony, Ambassador W. Stuart Symington, U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti and keynote speaker, addressed the candidates reminding them about the oath...

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany, Nov. 25, 2007 – Positive permanent changes in the Iraqi people are beginning to show, said Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright during his visit to the Central Command area of operations Nov. 21 to 24. Cartwright traveled to Afghanistan, Iraq and Djibouti to visit deployed troops and receive updates on operations in the region. He said Iraq has seen the most notable change in operations. “You listen to the commanders and they’re really talking about what’s changing. What they see is opportunity, with caution that at any...

Sought-after al-Qaida suspect leaves traces in Lackawanna By LOU MICHEL and JERRY ZREMSKI News Staff Reporters 9/22/2002 Kamal Derwish cut a mysterious figure on his travels through Lackawanna. People remember little about the plump, pious visitor from the Middle East who prayed with young people in the local mosque. And he's more mysterious than ever, now that he's believed to be on the run in Yemen, a fugitive from U.S. justice and alleged to be the ringleader of what federal officials describe as al-Qaida's "Buffalo cell." Derwish, a 29-year-old Buffalo native of Yemeni descent, served as the link between the...

And the captive coffee mug's travels have now spanned the globe, thanks to the officers of Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 464.

CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, March 21, 2007 ? Personnel from Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa?s Camp Lemonier visited a local baby orphanage, March 15 to assist the caregivers in feeding the 50 babies trusted to their care. "As soon as you see the babies, their faces light up and we smile right back and it?s like we?ve known each other since they we born. We may not have a family tie, but while we?re here they?ll be our family and we?ll shower them with love." Petty Officer 2nd Class Mary Jane Valdez Upon arrival, the CJTF-HOA personnel greeted the staff,...

U.S. Marines, Sailors Clean Up Local School Servicemembers give students a better place to learn. By Angela Scherbenske Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa DJIBOUTI CITY, Djibouti, Feb. 20, 2007 -- Focused on making a difference for the 1,000 school children at Ecole du Stade Primary school near the Balballa area, U.S. Marine Capt. Christopher Roberson, in cooperation with Combat Logistics Battalion 26 and Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, worked intensely over two days to transform this local school into a positive environment for students. The group of approximately 100 Marines worked on painting...

Air Force Col. Dan Shoor listens to a young Somali refugee’s cough at a Djiboutian clinic, stretched to its limits because of an influx of 5,000 refugees. Malnutrition is a widespread problem, as are sanitation woes and influenza. About five children in the community of 12,000 die each day, one Army sergeant estimates. CHRIS TYREE PHOTOS / THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT PART 1 OF 2 In faraway desert villages and city slums, U.S. military men and women stationed in the Horn of Africa are healing children, digging water wells and building schools. It's part of a unique approach by a Navy-led...

Djibouti City, Djibouti- When a handful of Marines show up at a school in this African city equipped with tools, paintbrushes and building materials, their mission is clear: help the children. Servicemembers stationed in Djibouti as part of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa routinely take part in community outreach programs to help the local citizens. Their endeavors often involve schools and orphanages, but they help improve other aspects of Djiboutian life as well. Many volunteers work during their free time, and it can be a very rewarding experience. "I had never done humanitarian work before," said Lance Cpl....

Somali Troops, Allies Prep for Showdown Thousands of Somali and Ethiopian Troops Set Off for Final Showdown With Islamic Militia By MOHAMED OLAD The Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia - Thousands of Somali and Ethiopian troops set off Saturday for a showdown with Islamic forces who have regrouped at a southern seaport since abandoning the Somali capital two days ago. Some 3,000 Muslim militiamen have taken a stand in the Indian Ocean port city of Kismayo, and the U.S. government believes they may include four suspects in the 1998 bombings of the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. This map...

Sudan's army has suffered two major military defeats in its campaign against rebels in the Darfur region, the UN envoy to Sudan says. Jan Pronk wrote on his personal blog there had been hundreds of casualties and prisoners taken, leading to a fall in morale and the sacking of generals. He also said that pro-government Arab militias were again being mobilised in contravention of UN resolutions. The Janjaweed militias are accused of widespread atrocities, even genocide. A former Janjaweed fighter "Ali" now living in London has told the BBC that Sudanese ministers gave express orders for the activities of his...

U.S. Marines Train with French Marines in Desert Troops learn how to survive in Africa where temperatures can reach 125 degrees. By U.S. Air Force Capt. Martin Gerst Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa Public Affairs CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, Aug. 2, 2006 -- Twenty-five U.S. Marines and one Navy corpsman recently completed a 10-day desert training course conducted by a French Marine regiment from a neighboring camp.  Marines from the 4th Provisional Security Company here were invited by the 5th French Marine Regiment at Briere de L’Isle Barracks to participate in the course.  The goal of the course is...

U.S. Marines assigned to the 4th Provisional Security Company, stationed with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa in Djibouti, work together to clean and rebuild a soccer field outside Camp Lemonier. Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa photo U.S. Marines Help Rebuild Djiboutian Soccer Field The project, which involved removing trash, smoothing and marking the field and adding nets to goal posts, was time well spent, according to the Marines. By U.S. Air Force 2nd Lt. Omar Villarreal Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa CAMP LEMONIER, Djibouti, May 18, 2006 — Fifty U.S. Marines with the 4th Provisional...

Imagine a country within the greater Middle East ambit that has successfully made the transition to electoral democracy with multiparty municipal, presidential, and, most recently, parliamentary polls. Moreover, imagine that despite virtually all of its citizens being Sunni Muslims, the country's national elections commission designates a progressive, foreign-based Christian non-governmental organization to coordinate the international monitoring of its parliamentary elections. And imagine that the incumbent president's party takes a drubbing at the polls, winning barely a third of the seats. Most audiences, if I were to tell them that I was not conjuring up Utopia, but describing a real life...

U.S. Coast Guard Guard personnel from Law Enforcement Detachment 401 teach Djiboution servicemembers law enforcement tactics, April 25-27, 2006. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Bobby Northnagle. Coast Guard Detachment Trains Djiboutians U.S. Coast Guard personnel recently provided the Djiboutian Coast Guard and Navy with lessons ranging from basic boarding techniques to apprehension of non-compliant mariners. By U.S. Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Bobby Northnagle MANAMA, Bahrain, May 3, 2006 — U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment 401, based out of Mayport, Fla., recently provided training to Djibouti's navy and coast guard, April 25 -27. “[Djiboutian coast guardsmen...

Djiboutian Town Brighter with Task Force Help The Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa project to improve streetlights included fixing broken power poles and replacing cable. By U.S. Army Sgt. Sam Smith Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa ADAILOU, Djibouti, April 28, 2006 — Life in the small African township here is a little brighter now because Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa assisted with improvements to streetlights in the town. The project included fixing eight broken power poles, replacing electrical cable and providing a diesel generator. "This project is an investment in your future," said U.S. Navy Rear...

DJIBOUTI, April 24, 2006 – The complexity of operations in the Horn of Africa boggles the mind. A person may be tempted to throw his hands up and decide that conditions are too dire, the people are too many, the politics are too tangled to make any changes in the region. But that person would be wrong, said Navy Rear Adm. Richard Hunt, commander of Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Hunt leads a small command dedicated to improving lives in the region so the people do not embrace extremist ideologies or shelter terrorists. The command includes Djibouti -...

PORT OF DORALEH, Djibouti – USS Vicksburg (CG 69) became the first U.S. Navy ship to take on fuel at the new Defense Fuel Supply Point (DFSP) at the Port of Doraleh in Djibouti , Feb. 26. Vicksburg's historic refueling evolution coincided with DFSP Djibouti's inaugural ceremony, which drew a star-studded audience that included Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh; U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti Marguerita Ragsdale; and Vice Adm. Patrick Walsh, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Bahrain. The Navy has leased several fuel storage tanks from DFSP Djibouti for the exclusive use of ships operating in and around the Horn...

NAIROBI, Kenya (Feb. 19) - The U.S. military confirmed Sunday that 10 U.S. troops died when two transport helicopters crashed into the sea last week off the coast of the African nation of Djibouti. The CH-53E choppers, carrying a dozen crew and troops from a U.S. counterterrorism force, went down Friday in the Gulf of Aden, near the northern coastal town of Ras Siyyan. Two crew members were rescued. The search for the others was called off Saturday when the military said it had accounted for the 10 troops but it declined to reveal their fate until family members were...

Military: Troops accounted for after crash RODRIQUE NGOWI Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya - Rescue crews called off operations Saturday after the U.S. military said it has accounted for 10 American troops who went missing after two transport helicopters crashed into the sea but declined to reveal their fate until family members were notified. The U.S. military normally publicly acknowledges any successful rescue of servicemen, as it did Friday in announcing that two injured crew members were recovered from the crash site. In saying that the 10 previously missing crew members had been accounted for, the U.S. military command in Djibouti...