CAMEROON PRIME MINISTER SEEKS USG INPUT FOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L YAOUNDE 001090 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/C LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS EUCOM FOR J5-A E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/04/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR CM SUBJECT: CAMEROON PRIME MINISTER SEEKS USG INPUT FOR CABINET CHANGES REF: A. YAOUNDE 752 (NOTAL) ¶B. YAOUNDE 865 ¶C. YAOUNDE 1012 ¶D. YAOUNDE 1088 Classified By: Political Officer Tad Brown for reasons 1.4 b and d. ¶1. (C) Summary. Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni asked Charge on September 4 to share the list of personnel suggestions that then-Ambassador Marquardt provided during his July 6 farewell call on President Biya (ref B). Inoni said Biya wanted to consult the list before making final decisions for upcoming cabinet changes. Inoni predicted Biya would decide "this week or next" to dismiss "a few" particularly problematic ministers, whom Inoni did not specify, and to divide the current Ministry of Economy and Finance into two separate ministries. Turning to the disputed succession of the Lamido of Sabga, Inoni expressed satisfaction that his intervention had enabled the men from Sabga (ref D) to depart the Embassy and return to their homes with Government of Cameroon (GRC) protection. End summary. -------------- -------------- (C) GRC Solicits USG Input for Pending Cabinet Reshuffle -------------- -------------- ¶2. (C) Inoni told Charge that President Biya had instructed him to obtain a summary of the personnel suggestions that then-Ambassador Marquardt made during his July 6 farewell call on President Biya (ref B). Charge provided a printed, unlabeled summary of Ambassador Marquardt's brief to Inoni in the September 4 call. Inoni said it was a sign of Biya's confidence in the USG that he would instruct Inoni to be sure to take the USG's views on board before finalizing the new government. Inoni said he expected Biya would announce the new cabinet "this week, or next," but cautioned that one never really knows Biya's timetable. Reviewing the list, Inoni commented that many of the names of those currently not in government were already under positive consideration, but refrained from revealing specific personnel changes. (Note. In an August 31 phone call with Charge, however, Inoni implied Minister for Planning and Development Augustin Kodock would be among those dismissed saying: "you won't have to worry about him anymore." End note). Inoni noted that the August 31 re-election of National Assembly President Cavaye Djibril made it more likely that he (Inoni) would retain the PM post. ¶3. (C) According to Inoni, Biya is focused on improving the management of those portfolios tied to economic growth and investment, and that "social" ministries like education and youth would largely be left untouched. Inoni said the upcoming reshuffle would include the firing of a few of the "worst" ministers. In addition to their dismissal, Inoni said that "further action" would be taken and explained that he had instructed GRC security forces to prevent some ministers from departing the country. Explaining that Biya wanted to wait until the GRC had completed its current IMF program, Inoni said Biya would wait until next year to undertake a wholesale shuffle and down-sizing of the cabinet. -------------- - PM's Intervention on Behalf of Sabga Community -------------- - ¶4. (C) Inoni said he was satisfied that his intervention succeeded in convincing the representatives from Sabga to depart U.S. Embassy premises (ref D). Inoni said the men received travel funds and a police escort from Yaounde to Sabga. He said government officials serving as members of a commission of inquiry would arrive in Sabga September 4 to investigate the handling of the traditional leadership succession. Inoni expressed distaste at the strong-arm tactics of Alhadji Baba Donpullo and argued that Donpullo is not as influential with senior levels of the Government of Cameroon, and especially Minister for Territorial Administration and Decentralization Hamidou Marafa, as the Mbororo believe. The Mbororo have been let down and deceived by government officials in their region so many times that they no longer have faith in their government to protect them, lamented Inoni. -------------- -------------- (C) Comment: Shuffle Could Mean New Game in Cameroon -------------- -------------- (##) that Biya intends to toss out a few of the more problematic ministers while focusing on the need for better management of the economy--is congruent with the predictions made by Secretary of State for Commerce Ama Tutu Muna (ref C) and the private promises made by President Biya himself (ref B),providing reason to hope that this shuffle will be more than a rearangement of the same tired suits. Muna's timing was off, and Inoni's could be wrong too. Less significant than the timing, however, is the thrust of the shuffle. Muna said Biya would likely dismiss and arrest the Ministers for Economy and Finance (Polycarpe Abah Abah) and Health (Urbain Olanguena Awono),and possibly Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Atan(##)comment.(##) NELSON