Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06COTONOU1153
2006-11-22 13:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:
BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES TRANSPORT AND PORTS MINISTER
how-toVZCZCXRO6564 PP RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHCO #1153 3261312 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 221312Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9023 INFO RUEHLMC/MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE CORP PRIORITY RHMFISS/COMUSNAVEUR NAPLES IT RUCOWCA/COGARD MIO EUROPE ROTTERDAM NL RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUCOCGA/COMLANTAREA COGARD PORTSMOUTH VA RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHFR/AQMBASSY PARIS 1008 RUEHKL/AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR 0002
UNCLAS COTONOU 001153
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWY PGOV PREL PINR BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES TRANSPORT AND PORTS MINISTER
REF: (A) COTONOU 944; (B) COTONOU 1149; (C) COTONOU 782
UNCLAS COTONOU 001153
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWY PGOV PREL PINR BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES TRANSPORT AND PORTS MINISTER
REF: (A) COTONOU 944; (B) COTONOU 1149; (C) COTONOU 782
1. (U) SUMMARY: On November 20, President Yayi dismissed the
Minister for Transports, Public Works and Urban Development, Mr.
Alexandre Dossou Kpedetin. At the same time he split the portfolio
into two, bringing the total number of ministers to 23. The new
Minister of Public Works and Transport is Richard Senou, and the new
Minister for Urban Development and Social Housing is Francois
Noudegbessi. This is the second minister fired by President Yayi
since he took office in April 2006. END SUMMARY
2. (SBU) Local press reports indicate that Mr. Dossou Kpedetin was
dismissed because he had mishandled an important infrastructure
project related to new housing construction funded by a wealthy
Malaysian businessman. Post had dealt frequently with Minister
Dossou, since the Port of Cotonou is a major focus of Millennium
Challenge Account activity. Minister Dossou also was involved in
recent visits to Benin by the US Coast Guard on ISPS standards (REF
A) and the Nov. 13-15 conference on Maritime Safety and Security in
the Gulf of Guinea (REF B). In our interactions, Minister Dossou
had appeared competent, attempting several reforms to improve
operations at the Port, although for several of these reforms there
was still considerable more improvement needed. From conversations
with President Yayi just after his inauguration, it appeared that
Dossou was among a handful of ministers who Yayi did not know
particularly well, but who he had appointed because they came
well-recommended.
3. (U) Dossou is the second minister (out of twenty-two ministerial
positions) dismissed by President Yayi during his seven months in
office. In August 2006, Yayi fired Collette Houeto, Minister of
Primary and Secondary Education, in a dispute over senior
appointments in her ministry (REF C).
4. (U) The presidential decree announcing the dismissal also split
the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Urban Development into
two separate ministries and designated new ministers for both. Mr.
Frangois Noudegbessi as Minister of Urban Development and Social
Housing, and Mr. Richard Mahougnon Senou as Minister of Public Works
and Transports. This change raises the number of ministries in
Yayi's government to 23.
5. (U) BIO NOTES ON NOUDEGBESSI: Prior to his appointment, Mr.
Noudegbessi was a senior civil servant who served as the Chief of
Staff at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Urban
Development under Mr. Dossou. His wife is an FSN who works in the
Embassy's MCC office. His appointment would seem to indicate that
the President's displeasure was targeted at Dossou personally,
rather than overall dissatisfaction with the functioning of the
Ministry.
6. (U) BIO NOTES ON SENOU: Mr. Senou, the new Transport Minister,
who will now oversee the Port, had been serving as a Special Advisor
for economic affairs (Charge de Mission) in President Yayi's office
prior to his appointment as minister. Previously, he had worked as
Auditor and Financial Analyst for the World Bank. He was one of the
twenty-six candidates for president in the first round of the March
2006 election, finishing fourteenth. He then endorsed Boni Yayi in
the run-off.
BROWN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR AF/W (DBANKS)
PARIS FOR D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EWWY PGOV PREL PINR BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: PRESIDENT YAYI FIRES TRANSPORT AND PORTS MINISTER
REF: (A) COTONOU 944; (B) COTONOU 1149; (C) COTONOU 782
1. (U) SUMMARY: On November 20, President Yayi dismissed the
Minister for Transports, Public Works and Urban Development, Mr.
Alexandre Dossou Kpedetin. At the same time he split the portfolio
into two, bringing the total number of ministers to 23. The new
Minister of Public Works and Transport is Richard Senou, and the new
Minister for Urban Development and Social Housing is Francois
Noudegbessi. This is the second minister fired by President Yayi
since he took office in April 2006. END SUMMARY
2. (SBU) Local press reports indicate that Mr. Dossou Kpedetin was
dismissed because he had mishandled an important infrastructure
project related to new housing construction funded by a wealthy
Malaysian businessman. Post had dealt frequently with Minister
Dossou, since the Port of Cotonou is a major focus of Millennium
Challenge Account activity. Minister Dossou also was involved in
recent visits to Benin by the US Coast Guard on ISPS standards (REF
A) and the Nov. 13-15 conference on Maritime Safety and Security in
the Gulf of Guinea (REF B). In our interactions, Minister Dossou
had appeared competent, attempting several reforms to improve
operations at the Port, although for several of these reforms there
was still considerable more improvement needed. From conversations
with President Yayi just after his inauguration, it appeared that
Dossou was among a handful of ministers who Yayi did not know
particularly well, but who he had appointed because they came
well-recommended.
3. (U) Dossou is the second minister (out of twenty-two ministerial
positions) dismissed by President Yayi during his seven months in
office. In August 2006, Yayi fired Collette Houeto, Minister of
Primary and Secondary Education, in a dispute over senior
appointments in her ministry (REF C).
4. (U) The presidential decree announcing the dismissal also split
the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Urban Development into
two separate ministries and designated new ministers for both. Mr.
Frangois Noudegbessi as Minister of Urban Development and Social
Housing, and Mr. Richard Mahougnon Senou as Minister of Public Works
and Transports. This change raises the number of ministries in
Yayi's government to 23.
5. (U) BIO NOTES ON NOUDEGBESSI: Prior to his appointment, Mr.
Noudegbessi was a senior civil servant who served as the Chief of
Staff at the Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Urban
Development under Mr. Dossou. His wife is an FSN who works in the
Embassy's MCC office. His appointment would seem to indicate that
the President's displeasure was targeted at Dossou personally,
rather than overall dissatisfaction with the functioning of the
Ministry.
6. (U) BIO NOTES ON SENOU: Mr. Senou, the new Transport Minister,
who will now oversee the Port, had been serving as a Special Advisor
for economic affairs (Charge de Mission) in President Yayi's office
prior to his appointment as minister. Previously, he had worked as
Auditor and Financial Analyst for the World Bank. He was one of the
twenty-six candidates for president in the first round of the March
2006 election, finishing fourteenth. He then endorsed Boni Yayi in
the run-off.
BROWN