Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06PARIS1011
2006-02-16 18:03:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Paris
Cable title:  

FRANCE/C.A.R.: MFA ENCOURAGED BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

Tags:  PREL PHUM CT FR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9976
RR RUEHPA RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #1011/01 0471803
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 161803Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4339
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0806
RUEHTRO/USLO TRIPOLI 0036
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001011 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM CT FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE/C.A.R.: MFA ENCOURAGED BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

REF: PARIS 598

PARIS 00001011 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Acting Polcouns Bruce Turner, reasons 1.4 (b/d).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 001011

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/17/2016
TAGS: PREL PHUM CT FR
SUBJECT: FRANCE/C.A.R.: MFA ENCOURAGED BUT CONCERNS REMAIN

REF: PARIS 598

PARIS 00001011 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Acting Polcouns Bruce Turner, reasons 1.4 (b/d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: French MFA officials on February 15
stressed continuing GOF interest in the Central African
Republic (C.A.R.),based on its strategic location, role in
regional crises, and precarious status as an impoverished
state that could become a failed state. The MFA officials
claimed President Bozize played a useful role in the
Chad-Sudan talks in Tripoli. The French were encouraged by
C.A.R.'s hosting a ministerial meeting in Bangui (February
20-23) to prepare for the next Great Lakes Summit, to take
place later this year in Kenya. Cameroon has signaled its
willingness to contribute troops to the FOMUC peacekeeping
mission in C.A.R., which would allow Gabon to withdraw some
of its FOMUC contingent. The MFA defended the legitimacy of
Bozize's temporary period of "rule by decree" and asserted
that the C.A.R. president remained subject to constitutional
controls; Bozize does not have a "blank check." However,
the French remained concerned about the actions of the
C.A.R.'s security forces (especially the presidential guard
units) and Bozize's apparent unwillingness to acknowledge
that their conduct was a problem. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) FRENCH INTERESTS: MFA officials Isabelle Guisnel
(deputy to DAS-equivalent Foucher) and Charlotte Montel
(C.A.R. deskoff) discussed C.A.R. developments on February

15. Guisnel provided an overview of France's interests.
C.A.R. was becoming more important because of its geographic
location and thus its proximity to several countries plagued
by instability, ethnic conflict, and humanitarian and human
rights concerns. These included Sudan and Chad to the north
and east, and problems associated with the Great Lakes to the
South. C.A.R. was perforce part of the equation in French
evaluations of these different problems. Moreover, Guisnel
emphasized that C.A.R.'s extreme poverty, if not addressed by
the international community, risked allowing C.A.R. to become
a "failed state," which would add yet another negative
element to the region. Guisnel said that France was thus

paying more attention to C.A.R. in an effort to ensure that
it could, to the extent possible, be part of regional
solutions and not an additional regional problem. She hoped
that the U.S. also viewed C.A.R. in this light.


3. (C) TRIPOLI: Montel said that C.A.R. President Bozize
played a useful role at the February 8-9 Tripoli Summit
focused on Sudan and Chad. Bozize's presence was warranted
because of the common borders shared by C.A.R., Sudan, and
Chad, the very porous nature of those borders, and the effect
that any settlement or cease-fire would have on C.A.R.'s own
security posture. Montel explained that Bozize's presence
was useful in facilitating discussion among Deby, Bashir, and
Qadhafi. She asserted that Bozize enjoyed far better
personal relations with the other leaders than had his
predecessor, President Patasse. Bozize was close to Deby and
had a "decent" relationship with Bashir and Qadhafi, whereas
Patasse was often feuding with one or the others. Although
Montel indicated that Bozize did not have much of a role in
crafting the eventual Sudan-Chad agreement in Tripoli, she
said that his personal presence helped smooth interaction
among the others.


4. (SBU) C.A.R. ENGAGEMENT: France is supportive of
increased C.A.R. participation in regional issues, Montel
said. She cited Bangui's hosting a ministerial meeting on
the Great Lakes (February 20-23) to prepare for the Great
Lakes Summit to take place in Kenya later in 2006.


5. (C) CAMEROON/C.A.R.: Cameroon recently indicated that
it would provide troops to FOMUC, the small peacekeeping
operation in western C.A.R. under CEMAC (Central African
Economic and Monetary Community),Montel noted. Cameroon's
offer followed a request to Cameroon from Gabon, which had
been seeking to reduce its troop contribution to FOMUC. "A
Biya favor to Bongo," Montel remarked on Cameroon's
willingness to participate in FOMUC. Nonetheless, France was
very encouraged by this sign, which perhaps indicated a
change in Cameroon's traditional stance of not wanting to get
involved in regional issues. Montel said that increased
Cameroonian engagement in regional issues could only be a
plus for all concerned.


6. (C) FRENCH HELICOPTERS: Montel said she was not sure
that the two helicopters France had supplied to C.A.R. in
January (for logistical and not combat support operations)
had left C.A.R. In principle, they were to be there for only
one month (i.e., the month of January) but Montel was not
sure they had left. She said she would not be surprised if
they were still in C.A.R., and would check. (COMMENT:

PARIS 00001011 002.2 OF 002


Montel's unawareness of the status of the helicopters was
surprising but may reflect the MFA's marginal role in a
process directed by the French Presidency's foreign policy
shop. END COMMENT.)


7. (C) "RULE BY DECREE:" Bozize's three-month period of
"ruling by decree," about half over now, seemed to be
problem-free, Montel said. She noted that this
constitutionally authorized measure was not unchecked -- the
parliament had certain powers of review. The President did
not have a "blank check," she observed. Still, she said that
France remained alert to any abuses and would be very
concerned if Bozize tried to extend the period beyond the end
of March.


8. (C) WORRIES ABOUT RULE OF LAW PERSIST: Despite the
several encouraging signs, Montel said that France continued
to be concerned about serious problems that did not seem to
be abating in C.A.R. There were two significant areas of
concern -- corruption and the lawlessness of the security
forces, especially the presidential guard. C.A.R. was not
doing enough to combat corruption, she said, which only
exacerbated C.A.R.'s chronic economic problems and deep
poverty, and the lawlessness problem seemed to receive little
high-level attention. She noted an incident on February 13
involving a battle between presidential guard units and
police forces, after the police had arrested a member of the
presidential guard. The arrested man's comrades then
attacked the police station where he was held, resulting in
several wounded, and then attacked the central police
commissariat, causing more casualties. Montel said that this
incident brought to mind the Sanze case in January, which
involved similar misconduct on the part of C.A.R. security
forces.


9. (C) BOZIZE DOESN'T GET IT?: More troubling, Montel
confided, was the fact that Bozize did not seem to understand
the seriousness of the problem. She said that a French
journalist had recently interviewed Bozize and then related
the conversation to the French Embassy in Bangui. Asked by
the journalist about the problem of the presidential guards,
Bozize reportedly started making excuses and employing
legalistic jargon to rationalize the behavior of the
presidential guards. This, Montel said, showed that he was
either unwilling or unable to understand that rule of law
questions and issues of good governance were very important
to C.A.R.'s reputation and its standing in the international
community, and could seriously influence members of the donor
community. Montel said that France would continue to
emphasize to C.A.R. leaders the need to make sure that all
elements of the C.A.R. government act within the law.


Please visit Paris' Classified Website at:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm

Stapleton