C.A.R.: FRENCH WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE SUDANESE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 003035 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 TAGS: PREL PINS PINR CT FR SUBJECT: C.A.R.: FRENCH WORRIED ABOUT POSSIBLE SUDANESE PRESENCE, BUDGET ISSUES REF: BANGUI 69 Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, reasons 1.4 (b/d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: MFA C.A.R. Deskoff Charlotte Montel on May 5 expressed concern about a possible Sudanese presence in northeastern C.A.R., following the mysterious landing of a plane in the Tiringoulou area on April 25 (reftel). Locals reported that the 50-some soldiers who deplaned appeared to be Sudanese; neither the C.A.R. government nor French surveillance flights from N'djamena have been able to confirm the presence or departure of these unknown forces. Montel said that Sudanese presence in C.A.R., to proQe support to Chad rebel forces, would be a most unwelcome development. Montel said that the GOF was likely to reduce its budget support to C.A.R. in 2006, which could lead to difficult decisions about which sectors of C.A.R.'s economy would receive assistance. She expressed concern that financial support for C.A.R.'s army might decline, which could weaken the military. END SUMMARY MYSTERY FLIGHT ¶2. (C) France was concerned about a possible Sudanese military/para-military presence in northeastern C.A.R., MFA Deskoff Charlotte Montel said on May 5. Reading a cable from the French military attache in Bangui, she referred to the plane landing(s) reported reftel. The report tracked generally with that of Embassy Bangui, although the French cable said that only about 50 (vice 130) military personnel had landed on April 25. Montel said that local residents believed the forces were Sudanese, based on their uniforms, manner of speaking, and comportment. The French cable similarly reported uncertainty about the identity of the airplane involved and whether it made one landing or two. ¶3. (C) French concerns centered on the possibility that Sudan was trying to establish a military presence in northeastern C.A.R., for the purpose of providing support to Chad rebel elements in their continuing struggle against N'djamena. Montel said this would be a most disturbing and unwelcome development. She said that so far, neither C.A.R. forces nor French surveillance aircraft operating out of N'djamena had been able to confirm the presence of these forces in C.A.R., or, alternatively, their departure. Montel said that French Mirage jets in N'djamena conducted surveillance patrols, including in the C.A.R.-Chad border area, every two or three days, in keeping with France's agreement with Chad to provide intelligence and logistical (but not combat) support to Chad. ¶4. (C) Montel said that a unit of about 150 C.A.R. military personnel arrived in the Tiringoulou area on April 26, the day after the reported landing(s). It had taken the unit a week to travel there from Bangui. The unit was apparently headed for the area before the April 25 landing(s). Montel said that this unit was unable to locate the foreign forces that had reportedly arrived the day before. BUDGET PROBLEMS ¶5. (C) France had provided budget support of about 5 million euros to C.A.R. in 2005, among other forms of assistance, Montel said. This sum was used primarily to help pay the salaries of a range of C.A.R. civilian and military personnel. With this sum, C.A.R. salaries generally remained about eight months in arrears. The eight-month figure had held steady for some time, Montel said. However, she said that it appeared France would provide a smaller amount during the next budget cycle, meaning that support would diminish, with arrearages likely to increase. She regretted this but said that the decision had been made to cut budget support to C.A.R. The GOF was able, she said, to allocate tranches of the support to various sectors, but with a reduced amount, this would become more difficult. Much of the support went to functionaries' salaries, but this tended to concentrate wealth in Bangui. Maintaining or increasing support to the cotton sector would help distribute funds more widely, but that would mean cutting elsewhere. The greatest problem, Montel said, was maintaining support for military salaries, especially since soldiers deployed (such as the unit in the Tiringoulou area) received a deployment bonus. She worried that cutting military salary support could lead to lower morale and even desertions. She acknowledged that allocating budget support would be a difficult challenge for the GOF this cycle. BIO PARIS 00003035 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) Charlotte Montel said that she would become desk officer for Cote d'Ivoire during the summer 2006 rotation. She is a graduate of Langues Orientales, speaks Swahili, and has a degree in American Studies, with a thesis on the Monroe Doctrine. Montel is one of the MFA's most open contacts, shares information freely, and seems favorably disposed to the U.S. Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm Stapleton