COTE D'IVOIRE: PRIME MINISTER FORMS A NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABIDJAN 001050

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SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO ASEC IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: PRIME MINISTER FORMS A NEW
GOVERNMENT WITH FEW CHANGES

REF: ABIDJAN 997

ABIDJAN 00001050 001.2 OF 003


Classified By: Poloff Phaedra Gwyn for reasons 1.4 b&d


1. (U) SUMMARY: Prime Minister Banny has formed a new
cabinet, replacing the former Ministers of Transport and
Environment, dividing the Ministries of Justice and Interior
in twoministries each, and naming two new Secretaries of
State, a rank slightly below that of minister. Thus, the new
cabinet has four more members than the previous one, but the
political balance remains roughly the same. It remains to be
seen whether this will strengthen Banny's control over his
cabinet, which one of his close advisors told the Ambassador
was the real purpose of this reshuffle. END SUMMARY.


2. (U) In a televised address on September 16, President
Gbagbo,s spokesman Desire Tgro announced the formation of a
new cabinet, te days after Prime Minister Banny tendered his
goernment,s resignation over the toxic waste scandal
Tagro read two decrees, one reappointing Banny s Prime
Minister, and the other naming the rest o the cabinet.


3. (C) Two ministers were removedfrom the cabinet in the
wake of the toxic waste candal: Minister of Transport Anaky
Kobenan, whois the head of the opposition MFA (Movement of
Frces of the Future) party, and Minister of the Envronment
Jacques Andoh, who is a former member ofparliament from the
PIT (International Party of orkers) party, which is loosely
aligned with Preident Gbagbo's FPI (Ivoirian Popular Front).
Th new Minister of Transport is Abdel Aziz Thiam, Dirctor
General of SITARAIL, the government rail copany, who is not
politically active but believedto be sympathetic to the
opposition PDCI (Democrtic Party of Cote d'Ivoire) because
he is a granchild of long-time President Houphouet-Boigny,
fonder of the PDCI. The new Minister of Environmentis
Daniel Ayissi Aka, an economist, university professor, and a
nationalsecretary for the PIT.


4. (C) The Ministry of Interior and TerritorialAdministration was split into two. Former InteriorMinister
Joseph Dja Ble, politically neutral, reains on as the new
Minister of Security, and Danel Bamba Cheik, a career civil
servant but belieed to be sympathetic to the FPI, was newly
appoited as Minister of Territorial Administration. The
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights was also spit in two.
Mamadou Kone, politically independentbut leaning toward the
opposition RDR (Rally of epublicans) remains Minister of
Justice, while MA Vice President Joel N'Guessan was newly
appointd as Minister for Human Rights. The decree alsonamed two new Secretaries of State, a rank slightly lower
than Minister. Ginette Ursule Yoman, a career civil servant
but a protege of PDCI leader former President Bedie and
formerly a close advisor to Prime Minister Banny, was named
Secretary of State for Good Governance, and Noel Yao, also

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believed to lean towards PDCI, was named Secretary of State
for Civil Protection.


5. (C) All other ministers stayed the same. The complete
list is as follows:

Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of
Communications
CHARLES KONAN BANNY

FPI:

Minister of National Reconciliation and Relations with the
Institutions
SEBASTIEN DANO DJEDJE

Minister of National Education
MICHEL AMANI N,GUESSAN

Minister of Mines and Energy
LEON EMMANUEL MONNET

Minister of State, Minister of Planning and Development
ANTOINE BOHOUN BOUABRE

Minister of Civil Service, Labor, and Administrative Reform
HUBERT OULAYE

Minister of the Fight Against HIV/AIDS
CHRISTINE ADJOBI, FPI

Minister of Animal Production and Fisheries
ALPHONSE DOUATI

PDCI:

Minister of Foreign Affairs
YOUSSOUF BAKAYOKO

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Minister of Economic Infrastructure
PATRICK ACHI

Minister of Health and Public Hygiene
REMI ALLAH KOUADIAO

Minister of Industry and Private Sector Promotion
MARIE TEHOUA AMAH

Minister of Youth Civic Education and Sports
DAGOBERT BANZIO

RDR:

Minister of Agriculture
AMADOU GON COULIBALY

Minister of Construction Town Planning and Housing
MARCEL BENOIT AMON TANOH

Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
IBRAHIMA CISSE BACONGO

Minister of Family and Social Affairs
JEANNE PEUHMOND

Minister of New Information Technologies and Communication
HAMED BAKAYOKO

NEW FORCES:

Minister of State, Minister in Charge of Reconstruction and
Reintegration Program
GUILLAUME SORO

Minister of Solidarity and War Victims
LOUIS DACOURY-TABLEY

Minister of Tourism and Handicrafts
AMADOU KONE

Minister of Commerce
MOUSSA DOSSO

Minister of Technical Education and Vocational Training
YOUSSOUF SOUMAHORO

UDPCI:
Minister of Cooperation and African Integration
MABRI TOIKEUSE

PIT:
Minister of Environment Waters and Forest Resources
DANIEL AYISSI AKA (new minister)

UDCY:
Minister of Culture and Francophone Affairs
THEODORE MEL EG

MFA:
Minister of Human Rights (new ministry)
JOEL N,GUESSAN

Civil Society:

Minister of Justice
MAMADOU KONE, leans toward RDR

Minister of Territorial Administration (new ministry)
DANIEL CHEIK BAMBA, career civil servant, probably leans
toward FPI

Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance
CHARLES DIBY KOFFI career civil servant, politically neutral

Deputy Minister of Communication
MARTINE KOFFI STUDER, probably leans toward PDCI

Secretary of State for Good Governance

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GINETTE YOMAN, career civil servant, probably leans toward
PDCI

Secretary of State for Civil Protection

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NOEL YAO, career civil servant, probably leans toward PDCI

Minister of Defense
RENE APHING KOUASSI, probably leans toward PDCI

Minister of Security
JOSEPH DJA BLE (politically neutral)


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Minister of Transport
ABDEL AZIZ THIAM (probably leans toward PDCI)


5. (C) COMMENT: As predicted, Banny has formed a new
government with relatively few changes and roughly the same
political balance. What remains to be seen is whether this
will strengthen Banny's control over his cabinet, which one
of his close advisors told the Ambassador was the real
purpose of this reshuffle (reftel). END COMMENT.
Hooks