(from left to right) General Ward, Commander of U.S. Africa Command; Eric Wong, Deputy Chief of Mission; Major General Fathi Ahmed Houssein; Major Matthew Romagnuolo; H.E. Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita, Major General Zakaria C. Ibrahim..

His Excellency, Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita, decorated the chief of the U.S. Embassy’s Office of Security Cooperation, Major Matthew Romagnuolo, on July 30.  Major Romagnuolo was one of only three individuals inducted July 30 into the Order of June 27th (Djibouti’s Independence Day) with the rank of Officier—one of the highest honors bestowed by the Government of Djibouti. During the decoration ceremony, the Prime Minister paid tribute to the Major for his major contributions to promoting partnership between Djibouti and the United States of America. The Major thanked the Prime Minister and the members of the government for their support and availability during his stay in Djibouti.

Also present at the July 30 ceremony were Major General Fathi A. Houssein and Major General Zakaria C. Ibrahim, the two most senior uniformed officers in the Djiboutian Armed Forces (FAD).  General William Ward, commander of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM); Rear Admiral Anthony Kurta, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA); and Chargé d’affaires, ad interim, Eric Wong, accompanied Major Romagnuolo.

The U.S. Embassy’s Office of Security Cooperation (OSC) oversees bilateral military engagement between the United States and Djibouti, and has played a key role in implementing capacity-building and training programs to support the Djiboutian military.   Significant projects include the completion of the Obock Pier for the Djiboutian navy and the people of Obock; support to the Djiboutian Armed Forces; training programs in Djibouti and at U.S. military schools in the United States; and other ongoing bilateral security initiatives.

Discussion on President Obama speech in Accra, Ghana (07/11/09)

Ambassador Swan discussing with the guests

Ambassador James Swan received members of civil society, academia and government officials at his residence on July 11 to listen to the speech of President Obama in Accra, Ghana. The audience was much interested by the speech, and commented on its key themes during a discussion led by Ambassador Swan.

Then, Radio Television Djibouti interviewed Ambassador Swan about the main points of President Obama’s speech. The non English-speaking audience of RTD could thus receive the speech summarized by the Ambassador in French. RTD also aired this interview in Somali, Arabic and Afar for the local audiences in their evening newscast on radio and television. (read the interview in French)

U.S. Embassy Djibouti celebrates the 233rd america's Independence Day  (07/06/09)

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)

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)

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.

Visiting the USS Arleigh Burke (06/10/09)

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)

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)

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.