US Denies Role in Djibouti Immigration Crackdown

The United States says it has not played a role in recent moves by its anti-terror partner in East Africa, Djibouti, to expel as many as 100,000 illegal immigrants. The immigration crackdown follows warnings by Washington about possible terrorist threats on Western interests in Djibouti.

The Djiboutian government ordered the expulsion of the country's huge illegal immigrant population in July. The immigrants, who make up 15 percent of the tiny east African nation's population, were given until August 31 to leave. But authorities recently extended that deadline until September 15.

Djiboutian officials say the immigrants, who are mostly from neighboring Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea, are being expelled because they pose a security threat and are a drain on Djibouti's struggling economy.

But citing anonymous Djiboutian and Western sources, local and international media have also reported that Washington put pressure on the Djiboutian government to crackdown on illegal immigrants to better protect American troops stationed in the former French colony.

ed: hat tip stevie