CAMEROON'S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TELL FOREST

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 001071

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR AF/C, OES, INL
ACCRA FOR GEOFFREY HUNT
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS
EUCOM FOR J5-A AFRICA DIVISION AND POLAD YATES

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV KCOR SNAR PHUM PARM EAID PGOV CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TELL FOREST
MINISTER: "THE PROBLEM IS NOT MONEY, BUT WILL"


Marked paragraphs are sensitive but unclassified. Not for
distribution outside the USG.


1. (SBU) Summary. Cameroon's Forestry Minister (MINFOF)
was caught off-guard when EU representatives responded to his
August 22 appeal for donor assistance by suggesting that the
Government of Cameroon's problem is "not money, but will."
The ambassadors encouraged Ngolle to continue MINFOF's fight
against corruption as a Government of Cameroon (GRC)
initiative, which they asserted should be properly funded by
the GRC itself. End summary.


2. (U) Cameroon's Minister of Forestry, Elvis Ngolle
Ngolle, asked embassy representatives from the U.S., the
Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and Canada to
attend an August 22 meeting to brief them on MINFOF
activities and to appeal for participation, including
funding, from international donors in an initiative to expand
MINFOF efforts to fight corruption. Ngolle cited losses to
the state of 50 billion CFA (approximately $100 million) in
illegal logging activities, and that he wanted to launch an
independent study, with the support of Prime Minister Inoni,
to be carried out by a six-member commission in partnership
between MINFOF and donor countries.


3. (SBU) Ngolle was caught flat-footed, however, by the
response from EU representatives, who were upset by MINFOF's
request, as they saw it, for international partners to become
involved in interministerial conflicts, particularly with the
Ministry of Economy and Finances (MINEFI),which should be
funding the project. The German ambassador summed up
succinctly the prevailing view of donor countries at the
table: "The problem is not money, but will." The diplomats
encouraged Ngolle to continue MINFOF's fight against
corruption in coordination with MINEFI and noted that further
international assistance was not a precondition to this
effort moving forward.


4. (SBU) Media reports skirted the response from the donor
community. The state-run Cameroon Tribune and the Herald
both reported that the EU would support the committee and
stated that the donor countries had pledged to support forest
governance efforts. In response to Poloff's follow-up
request for clarification from MINFOF's Director of Wildlife,
Mahamat Amine, who also attended the meeting, Amine said that
the EU representatives said they were formulating a response
and would respond within the next few days.


5. (SBU) Comment: This is just one example of the GRC
requesting funding for activities it can and should be
carrying out on its own. Ngolle is generally considered one
of the brighter stars in the government, as his efforts to
combat corruption in this sector attest. The response from
the EU representatives reflected a sense among many donors
that the GRC remains stuck in a fundraising mentality despite
recent windfalls to the treasury from debt relief and higher
than anticipated oil revenues. End Comment.
NELSON