Country Reports on Terrorism 2012

Great Lakes Countries, and the Economic Community of Central Africa – to exchange
information and enhance border security. The DRC is a member of the International Conference
of the Great Lakes Region and will head this organization for the next five years.
DJIBOUTI
Overview: Djibouti remained an active and cooperative counterterrorism partner. Increased
training for police and military members and deploying soldiers to the AU Mission in Somalia
(AMISOM) campaign was the focus of Djibouti’s 2012 efforts to counter terrorism.
Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Due to its geographic location and
porous borders, counterterrorism remained a high priority for all Djiboutian law enforcement
entities. Djibouti tries terrorists in criminal courts using its penal code, but in 2012, its legislature
was in the process of adapting its existing laws to reflect the current terrorist threat. Djibouti’s
most visible counterterrorism efforts were ad hoc checkpoints within the capital city and an
increased emphasis at border control points to screen for potential security threats.
Djibouti continued to process travelers on entry and departure at its international airport and
seaport with the Personal Identification Secure Comparison Evaluation System (PISCES).
Djibouti has not fully implemented the PISCES fingerprinting collection feature, however. While
the airport and seaport are important entry points, the vast majority of travelers cross into
Djibouti by land at one of three land border points, including one point on the border with
Somalia. Djibouti regularly issued passports to non-citizen Somalis with close personal or
business relationships to the Djiboutian government, as well as to residents of Somalia with no
legal claim to Djiboutian citizenship.
Djibouti received significant counterterrorism training and equipment provided by the United
States through a variety of courses and programs.
Countering Terrorist Finance: The Central Bank of Djibouti houses a Financial Intelligence
Unit (FIU), known as the Fraud Investigation Unit. Given its very limited resources including
lack of staff, however, it is focusing on outreach to the private sector but is unable to perform the
core functions of an FIU. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, we
refer you to the 2013 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2,
Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.
Regional and International Cooperation: Djibouti is a member of the AU and has deployed
troops to AMISOM. Djibouti has been supportive of UNGA resolutions related to terrorism.
Djibouti hosts Camp Lemonnier, the largest U.S. military presence in Africa, which serves as
headquarters to approximately 4,000 U.S. troops, including those serving with the U.S. Africa
Command’s Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa.
Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: Most of the Government of Djibouti’s
strategic communications efforts focused on youth, a group widely-recognized as susceptible to
violent extremism. In response to a growing youth violence problem, members of Parliament and
representatives from the Ministry of Islamic Affairs held monthly meetings in Djibouti’s lowincome
neighborhoods. The Ministry of Youth and Sports organized sports leagues to engage
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