CONGO/B: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 000968

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER
DEPT FOR AF/C
FROM BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/15/2010
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON CF RW
SUBJECT: CONGO/B: ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF CENTRAL AFRICA
MEETING, ADB CANDIDACY OF RWANDA FINANCE MINISTER DISCUSSED

Classified By: AMBASSADOR ROBIN R. SANDERS, REASON 1.5 (B) AND (D).



1. (C) Summary: As current chairman of the Economic
Community of Central Africa States (CEEAC/ECCA) sub regional
organization, President Sassou convened a summit June 7-8 to
encourage CEEAC Presidents to reinvigorate the near moribund
entity. Known more in the region by its French acronym CEEAC
than the English acronym ECCA, this session sought to clearly
define the mission of the group, to seek better harmony among
member states, improve budgetary and financial management of
resources, and work together for better regional and
international CEEAC decisions. Sassou's term as CEEAC
chairman was extended to March 2006, when Chad takes over the
chairmanship. Only three CEEAC Presidents turned up for the
summit - Bongo of Gabon, Kabila of DRC, and Bozizi of CAR.
All other heads of state were represented at either the
vice-presidential (Burundi),prime minister level (Cameroon,
Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and Rwanda),or ministerial
level (Sao Tome and Principe). One of the key issues
discussed behind closed doors during the session was the
candidacy of Rwandan Finance Minister Donald Kaberuka for the
post of the President of the African Development Bank (ADB).
Kaberuka and Rwanda Prime Minister as well as Foreign
Minister Mirgande attended the Summit to seek CEEAC member
support in the next ADB voting round in Tunis July 21-22.
During Ambassador's June 8 cocktails for Kaberuka and
Mirgande, she was told that Gabonese President Bongo, at
present, would not lend his support to the Kaberuka ADB
candidacy. Kaberuka also added that the biggest surprise in
the closed session was that DRC President Kabila said he
would "consider" supporting the Rwandan candidacy now that
the Zimbabwean candidate is out. End Summary.

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CEEAC Summit:
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2.(C) The 11-nation Economic Community of Central African
States (CEEAC) sub-regional organization held a summit June
7-8 under the auspices of the current chairman, Republic of
Congo President Denis Sassou Nguesso (Sassou is serving his
second concurrent term as CEEAC Chairman). The primary focus
of the Summit was to increase harmony among member states and
encourage better commitment and payment of dues to the
organization. Under the "improving harmony theme," was a
complaint by Gabonese President Bongo, that CEEAC Presidents
were not showing up for summit meetings, reflecting a lack of
commitment to the organization. He reportedly stressed the
need to improve CEEAC participation at the highest level and
that he was disappointed with the turn out at this summit
session. (NB: Part of the problem with poor attendance is
that CEEAC summit seems to be called every 6 months.)


3. (C) In addition to the lack of harmony issue raised,
regional integration also was noted as a problem, which ROC
President Sassou underlined as key to development. President
Sassou cited the need for a permanent United Nations office
in Central Africa that would provide long-term assistance to
member states as an important step as well as having a free
trade zone, reducing tariffs among CEEAC states, and allowing
for better immigration practices to assist CEEAC citizens
with more freedom of movement. On budget and finance issues,
reports are that the organization's secretariat is broke and
has no resources to implement mission goals, albeit the fact
they are loosely defined. Each member state was encouraged
to increase its financial commitment to the CEEAC by 10 per
cent. Improving regional security issues noted by the
members as an important component of regional development.
Outside of regional government leaders and officials, the UN
Secretary-General sent two representatives to highlight UN

SIPDIS
development and HIV/AIDS activities. The ADB also sent a
representative to the summit.

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Rwandan Finance Ministers ADB Candidacy
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4. (C) Rwandan Foreign Minister Charles Mirgande and Finance
Minister Kaberuka briefed Ambassador June 8 over cocktails at
her home about the closed-door discussion on the latter's
candidacy for the position of ADB President. Mirgande said
that Gabonese President Bongo (also Sassou's son-in-law) was
in an angry mood over the ADB issue, noting that the region
had not supported his candidate so why should he support a
CEEAC move to back Kaberuka. Both Mirgande and Kaberuka said
that Sassou played the role of referee with Bongo as he
sought to encourage him not to block the Kaberuka ADB
candidacy and emphasized that this issue could be the first
step in better CEEAC harmony. Despite Sassou's best efforts,
according to Mirgande and Kaberuka, Bongo would not budge on
a commitment or public statement of CEEAC support at the
summit. However after many interventions by Sassou, Bongo
later agreed to further discuss the issue at "another time"
by saying that "Kagame could come to see him to talk about
it."


5. (C) Kaberuka then highlighted what he thought was the most
important aspect of the closed-door session: Kabila saying
before the other leaders that he would "consider" having the
DRC vote for him now that the Zimbabwean candidate was out.
The Rwandan Finance Minister added that Kabila asked him to
come to Kinshasa before the end of June to further discuss
the issue as well as Kaberuka's vision for the ADB if elected
in July. Kaberuka told the Ambassador that his position with
President Kagame upon his return to Rwanda will be not only
to agree to the travel to Kinshasa, but also recommend that
Kagame travel to Libreville to see Bongo. Kaberuka believed
that Bongo was still smarting from his candidate being out in
the first round. However he thought Bongo would come around
with a little public relations effort by Rwanda such as
Kagame traveling to Libreville. Mirgande told the Ambassador
that he was not as convinced that Kagame should go to
Libreville, but there may be other meeting venues coming up
were discussions on the ADB issue could be held.


6. (C) Comment: The CEEAC - established in October 1983 --
continues to be a regional organization, with little-to-no
clout, impact or direction. Although Sassou has been chairman
of the group since 2003, he has struggled to turn it into a
bigger version of CEMAC (the Central African Monetary
Community),which has the six countries of Gabon, Chad,
Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, and
Equatorial Guinea. CEMAC is more active and has made key
steps toward better integration among the six member states
such as a CEMAC passport, free movement of some goods and
services, and extradition and other treaties. The biggest
issue at the CEEAC summit was the ADB candidacy of Kaberuka
and clearly at the end of the summit harmony was not reached
on this issue even though there was a press report citing the
Rwandan Prime Minister as saying all members at the CEEAC
summit supported Kaberuka.


7. (U) BRAZZAVILLE EMBASSY OFFICE - SANDERS.
MEECE
MEECE