Trump’s United States continues its quest for Israel. After Sudan, Washington’s new target is Djibouti. Pressure is on the Djiboutian president to normalize with Israel. But President Guelleh is not at all ready to follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain or Sudan.
According to Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti, the East African country is not beginning to normalize its relations with Israel. On the other hand, the leader calls on Israel to “make a gesture” in favor of the Palestinians. Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh spoke this week about the diplomatic seduction operation begun several months ago by Israel. In an interview with The Africa Report on Tuesday, November 24, 2020, the head of state said his country has no plans to normalize its relations with Israel.
The announcement comes after the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan announced the normalization of their relations with Tel Aviv. This wave of diplomatic rapprochement supported by the United States of Donald Trump had been considered a betrayal by the Palestinians who have for several decades been at the center of tensions between Israel and the Arab world.
“We disagree with the Israeli government because it denies the Palestinians their inalienable rights,” Ismail Omar Guelleh said in his interview. He added: “All we ask of Tel Aviv is to make a gesture for peace and we will do ten in return. But I’m afraid he’ll never do it. ”
Israel and Washington mainly target countries that may be strategic to them. Given the current context and the extremely strategic location of Djibouti, this standardization would be highly coveted. And for good reason, Djibouti has started a process of detachment from the West, but also from the United Arab Emirates. As a reminder, in 2018, Djibouti terminated the contract that linked it to the Emirati company DP World. Indeed, this company ensured that the port of Doraleh in Djibouti did not develop as it should, so as not to hamper the development of the port of Dubai.
This also made Djibouti open its doors to China for the development of the port of Doraleh, but also for the deployment of a major military base in the country.
Moreover, Djibouti sits opposite Yemen, a country from which Saudi Arabia launched a war in 2015. This war has made the Resistance, namely, Yemen’s Ansarallah, more powerful than ever. The situation is now reversed in Yemen, and Ansarallah is gaining ground. Instead, Israel has in mind to support Saudi Arabia in its campaign of aggression against Yemen. Indeed, a recent secret visit by the Israeli Prime Minister to Riyadh may support this hypothesis.
In addition to Yemen, the Red Sea, which is the subject of increased lust on the part of the Western powers, because the presence of Russian base in Eritrea, a rise in Iranian naval forces and a Chinese presence in Djibouti does not reassure and in no way leaves the monopoly so sought after by the West.
Djibouti has also provided support to Ethiopia. Addis Ababa, which is struggling to escape a trap Washington and Israel have set for it, by arming and funding Tigrayan separatists with the aim of provoking war in the Horn of Africa.
As a result, Israel and Washington are trying to spread their web across the countries of the Horn of Africa and especially Djibouti.
Djiboutian President Omar Guelleh also speaks on behalf of the Djiboutian people. It is clear in his words, Israel must first stop its terrorist policy towards Palestine and the Middle East before talking about any normalization!
