COTE D'IVOIRE: GBAGBO PROMISES TO INTEGRATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABIDJAN 000168

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/14/2017
TAGS: PGOV ASEC PREL IV
SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: GBAGBO PROMISES TO INTEGRATE
EX-MILITIA SOLDIERS INTO SECURITY FORCES

REF: 06 ABIDJAN 333

Classified By: Pol/Econ Jim Wojtasiewicz, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) In a controversial but not entirely unexpected move,
President Gbagbo announced February 13 that the 4000 "New
Recruits" would be hired into the military. This move came
after on February 1-2, New Recruits fired automatic weapons
in the air in several towns in government-held territory to
protest their status.


2. (C) The New Recruits are a group of irregular military who
were recruited from the pro-Gbagbo militias to fight against
the 2002 rebellion. Because they did not go through the
normal recruitment process, but rather were selected by Young
Patriots leader Charles Ble Goude and presidential advisor
(and shadow defense minister) Bertin Kadet, the military
hierarchy refused to swear them in or to regularize their
military status. Up until last March, they received no
regular salary, health insurance or other military benefits,
but only "war bonuses" that the government had fallen far
behind on paying. It was agreed under the 2003 Linas
Marcoussis Agreement that this group would not be brought
into the military but would be disbanded. After a protest
last March, they won the right to receive regular salaries
instead of war bonuses, eligibility for health insurance, and
a promise that they would be given priority in applying for
normal recruitment into the security forces.


3. (C) According to local press reports, the New Recruits
were not happy about the end of their war bonus payments at
the end of last December (even though they agreed last March
to receive regular salaries instead of the war bonuses) and
they were also reportedly still dissatisfied at being
required to pass through the normal recruitment process one
by one in order to be integrated into the security forces.
Indeed, the war bonuses ranged from the equivalent of $180 to
$360, depending on how close the soldier had been to the
front lines. The regular salary they started receiving last
March, on the other hand, was only the equivalent of $200.
Under the terms of the March agreement they continued until
December to retroactively receive the war bonuses the
government had fallen behind on paying, plus the new $200
monthly salary. Thus, in January they saw a big drop in
their pay when the war bonuses disappeared. February 1-2
their anger boiled over and they began firing their weapons
into the air in protest. In response, Gbagbo promised to
fully integrate them into the security forces.


4. (C) Comment. This move is sure to rile the rebel New
Forces and the opposition, coming as it does right in the
middle of Gbagbo,s proposed "direct dialogue." Gbagbo would
be breaking the Linas Marcoussis Agreement and effectively
augmenting the security forces on his side just as he is
ostensibly trying to persuade the rebels to disarm. However,
the pro-Gbagbo press is speculating that through this move
Gbagbo might be preparing the political ground to make
concessions to the FN on their proposed integrated joint
staff. This could be a good thing. The refusal so far by
the government side to discuss at all any form of integration
of the two armies is a serious logistical obstacle to
disarmament, and another violation of the Linas Marcoussis
Agreement. The FN were not defeated in 2002 and it is
unrealistic to expect them almost five years later to simply
surrender and/or disappear. Ultimately, it remains to be
seen whether Gbagbo will really follow through on this latest
promise. He could also be only buying a little time with the
New Recruits while using their status as a bargaining chip in
this latest "direct dialogue" with the FN. End Comment.
Hooks