CAMEROON: TOURS D'HORIZON WITH PM AND INTERIOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001211 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/C LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS EUCOM FOR J5-1 AND POLAD E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/04/2017 TAGS: CM PGOV PREL ASEC ECON KMCC SUBJECT: CAMEROON: TOURS D'HORIZON WITH PM AND INTERIOR MINISTER Classified By: P/E Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e) ¶1. (C) Summary: In an October 4 courtesy call by the Ambassador, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization Hamidou Yaya Marafa acknowledged failings in Cameroon's electoral process (but thought ELECAM was not a good fix),described serious security concerns on the border with Chad and CAR, and conceded the urgent need to create jobs or risk social unrest around the anticipated 2011 presidential elections. On October 5 Ambassador held a wide ranging discussion with Prime Minister Ephraim Inoni, who raised some of the same issues, acknowledged problems with the recent parliamentary election, praised recent U.S. investments, and said his office would take over the lead on MCC issues. End summary. Elections -------------- ¶2. (C) On the September 30 re-run parliamentary elections, Inoni acknowledged "administrative problems" and said he was discouraged by the low voter turnout. He described the elections as "not perfect, but acceptable." He was working on establishing an independent electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM),and welcomed "any expertise" we or other foreign partners could offer to get it off the ground. The GRC had decided not to have ELECAM run this year's elections because the body was not prepared and failure could undermine its future credibility, although this decision met with criticism from the Commonwealth, Inoni said. ¶3. (C) In Marafa's view: "Nobody's dead, so the election went well." He noted that it takes time to learn democratic practices. He acknowledged that Cameroon had "failed" in its preparation of voting cards and voter rosters in past elections. He expected ELECAM would be in place by June 2008, but said that personally he thought the ELECAM law was flawed. ELECAM would be too expensive and could take several elections to gain the necessary experience, he thought. Since there are no elections for several years, he believed it would be better to debate ELECAM more. Governance -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Inoni said he was "a lot more comfortable" with the new government, following the September 7 Cabinet shuffle, which he said had removed corrupt individuals. The Ambassador noted that the Cabinet change had been well received in Washington. Minister Marafa told the Ambassador that, with the parliamentary elections over, his focus would be on decentralization. There was a strong need for training mayors and he would put together a proposal in the next two weeks identifying how foreign partners might assist with this. Security -------------- ¶5. (C) Marafa described Cameroon's border with Nigeria as secure but said there is a "state of war" on the borders with Chad and the Central African Republic. Not a single day goes by without someone being killed along these borders, although this situation lacks visibility. Cameroon "has to sustain" its support to refugees along the borders: "There is no choice." Marafa noted that Cameroon has a security agreement with CAR and will sign one with Chad at the end of the month, but that there is no way to implement them. When the Ambassador asked what the GRC needed on this issue, he said he didn't know, but that the government needed to contemplate effective solutions. ¶6. (C) Inoni was also concerned about the refugee situation and growing violence on the border, welcoming the Ambassador's offer to assist in training border patrols. Ambassador raised concerns about the recent, violent deaths in Yaounde of a Chinese national and Moroccan diplomat and Inoni assured her that "we are taking serious measures" to provide security for diplomats. Ambassador also sought the Prime Minister's support for Cameroonian participation in AIS, a NAVEUR-supported International Maritime Organization ocean vessel tracking system (Inoni had no comment). Emphasis on Job Creation -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Inoni said the GRC was revising its Poverty Reduction Strategy to complement social sector initiatives YAOUNDE 00001211 002 OF 002 with a greater focus on investment and job creation. He highlighted support for recent U.S. investments such as Hydromine, Le Bus, and Marriott and said the GRC is planning to create a new one-stop shop for investors. Marafa also highlighted the priority need for the government to focus on infrastructure and job creation. Without job creation, he predicted social unrest leading up to the presidential election in 2011. He hoped for road connections to Ndjamena within the next five years and Bangui within the next 18 months. He acknowledged that "some say the U.S. criticizes too much, but only friends can tell us the truth." MCC/World Bank Meetings -------------- ¶8. (U) Inoni said that over the next few weeks the Prime Minister's office will lead an inter-agency committee on the MCC, taking over from the Ministry of Finance. He confirmed that the Ministers of Economy and Finance will both attend the upcoming World Bank/IMF meetings in Washington. Comment -------------- ¶9. (C) Both Prime Minister Inoni and Interior Minister Marafa have had close relationships with the Mission and are more candid than most of our interlocutors. The problems they describe -- related to elections, security, and the potential impact of weak job growth -- paint an unsettling picture that serves as a reminder that Cameroon's stability is not to be taken for granted. Marafa's negative assessment of ELECAM is particularly troubling, as observers within and outside Cameroon search for evidence that the Biya regime is serious about meaningful electoral reform. GARVEY