15/07/10 (B560) Un correspondant régulier insiste pour que nous publions ses informations au sujet du challenge djiboutien de l’entreprise, projet (qui semble relever du domaine privé) qu’il a proposé au Gouvernement djiboutien et qui n’aboutirait pas, en dépit des assurances qu’il aurait reçues. (Publication à titre de courtoisie, en Anglais, à la demande de son auteur)

“What has come to the ‘Djibouti Business Awards event?”

By Mohamed Awaleh,

Upon following up a piece that I published on “Hiiraan.com – on Friday December 25, 2009 – ‘Djibouti Business Awards: the next biggest event in Djibouti’. According to Mr. Naleye Roble, the initiator of this important ceremony – initially was supposed to be held at Djibouti Kempenski Palace Hotel on March 14, 2010. Up until today, the project has not been yet realized in Djibouti, and Mr. Naleye did not give me a definite answer to what it had happened to ‘Djibouti Business Awards’ event.

However, I have been recently getting series of emails request by numerous readers: Why has the event not been materialized?

When I approached to Mr. Naleye – the organizer of the event – he first declined to give me more details. He later realized that I will have to answer to the readers; whether, he responds my questions or not.

Few days later, I got a phone call from Mr. Naleye. He was trying to persuade me to do not write about the feedback of the event with his usual charming tone; but it didn’t work with me.

Needless to say, I explained to him how crucial my integrity as a writer is.

And then let it all out: “as you already know, he started… the Djiboutian government is slow. Unfortunately though, they are some people who aren’t interesting of helping their own people to improve their living standard.”

He chuckles, “if they don’t even care about their own Citizens; there’s nothing I can do about it.

He goes on and on, how he wanted to help his country; and he continued, “I took a lot of Canadian and American companies into Djibouti –“since the companies were not willing to give out the cuts… the other side were not happy about that.” He ended the interview: “The President IOG, though, gave us the green light”; I just want you to know that.” That’s all I can say”, and he said good bye and hanged up the phone.

His partner and co-organizer of this particular event, Mr. Daher Moussa, alias Calin, told me; otherwise, how Mr. Naleye was naïve and opportunistic. “Mr. Naleye only wanted the Airport’s and Port’s contract.

Mr. Daher further elaborated: “I realized later when we got there (Djibouti) ’the Djibouti Business Awards’ thing was a scum to seduce the Djiboutian Government, but those guys are not stupid.”

According to independent sources the project itself was hijacked by the brother-in law of the President Ismail O. Guelleh, Mr. Djama Haid, who whish to do it himself in order to impress the President of the Republic of Djibouti.

He is also known one of those officials, who squander the Djiboutian tax payers’ money; especially Mr. Haid, using to rent Private Jets in Dubai, UAE for his personal travels abroad.