Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08COTONOU657
2008-10-20 06:04:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Cotonou
Cable title:  

BENIN: DRAFT DESIGNATION OF NEW PROVINCIAL CAPITALS SPARKS

Tags:  PGOV PREL BN 
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PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHCO #0657/01 2940604
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 200604Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY COTONOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0596
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1333
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0382
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000657 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W ACOOK
LONDON FOR PETER LORD
PARIS FOR BKANEDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: DRAFT DESIGNATION OF NEW PROVINCIAL CAPITALS SPARKS
PROTESTS.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 COTONOU 000657

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W ACOOK
LONDON FOR PETER LORD
PARIS FOR BKANEDA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL BN
SUBJECT: BENIN: DRAFT DESIGNATION OF NEW PROVINCIAL CAPITALS SPARKS
PROTESTS.


1. (U) SUMMARY: The Minister of Decentralization and Local
Communities, Issa Demole Moko,publicized a government plan to
designate capital cities for six provinces that were formerly
administered out of neighboring provincial capitals. The proposed
arrangement reflected proposals put forward by a technical committee
set up by the Ministry of Decentralization. In order to calm
protests in the targeted provinces, the GOB declared that the
publicized decision constituted a draft and warranted further study.
The GOB stated that the 1999 legislation governing the
administrative and territorial organization of Benin would be
amended in order to satisfy the population's concerns. END SUMMARY.

2 (U) On October 6, the Minister of Decentralization and Local
Communities announced on TV the selection of administrative capitals
for six provinces which are currently administered out of the
capitals of their immediate neighbors. The decision resulted from an
assessment produced by a technical committee at the Ministry of
Decentralization. The plan proposed administrative capitals for the
provinces of Atlantique, Plateau and Couffo in southern Benin, the
province of Collines in central Benin and the provinces of Donga and
Alibori in the north. The city of Ouidah was selected as the capital
of the province of Atlantique, the city of Aplahou for the province
of Couffo, the city of Pobh for the province of Plateau, the city of
Savalou for the province of Colline, the city of Djougou for the
province of Donga and the city of Kandi for the province of Alibori.
Demole Moko stated that the choice of these six capital cities was
based on well-defined criteria provided by a 1999 law, the Act No
97-028 relating to the organization of the territorial
administration in the Republic of Benin. These criteria included the
size of the population of provinces, their economic resources, the
administrative and infrastructural facilities they possess, their
geographical location and their historical traditions. Former
president Kekerou's first government (1996-2001) initiated Act No
97-028 as part of the administrative reforms necessary for a smooth
implementation of the decentralization and de-concentration policies
that Benin embraced since 1999. According to Demole Moko, his
ministry's plan seeks to conform to Act No 97-028.


3 (U) The announcement sparked protests in some of the six
provinces. While in the northern provinces of Alibori and Donga, the
population appeared to approve the new arrangement, the populations
of the provinces of Atlantique, Couffo, Plateau and Zou expressed
strong discontent during protest marches and in vitriolic
declarations against the government. Protestors claim that the
Ministry's proposal is not based on sound criteria but reflects
regional bias and ethnic gerrymandering. A case in point, in the
province of Collines, dominated by the Nago ethnic group, Savalou, a
city inhabited by the minority Mahi ethnic group was selected to be
the capital city for that province.

4 (SBU) In a TV broadcast On October 10, Demole Moko renounced the
decision, acknowledging that the Technical Committee had failed to
take into account a number of aspects pertaining to sociological
factors in the designation of the 6 capital cities. He stated that
the Council of Ministers had asked him to conduct another survey in
order to draft a proposal that would meet popular approval in the
six provinces. On October 16, President Yayi installed a committee
tasked with writing a bill for a new administrative division plan on
a one-month deadline. The new draft will subsequently be submitted
to the National Assembly for consideratin and adoption. Thus, Act
No 97-028 related to te organization of the territorial
administrationin the Republic of Benin appears to be obsolete and
slated to be adjusted to the current economic and sociological
situation.

5 (U) In 1999, former President Kerekou's government issued Act No
97-028 to turn into twelve the six initial provinces inherited from
colonial rule. Each of the initial six provinces had its capital
city. Assignment of capitals to the 6 newly created provinces is
still pending. The twelve provinces are currently governed by 6
"prefets" (prefects, high ranking civil servant who represent the
State at the level of a province) based in the six original
provinces, Mono, Littoral, Oueme, Zou, Borgou, and Atacora. In
order to seat "prefets" in the 6 newly created provinces, the GOB
must select cities to serve as capitals. However, neither President
Kerekou nor his successor, President Soglo, fully implemented Act No
97-028. Then as now, the designation as presented in Act No 97-128
bore great political risk.

(SBU) COMMENT: Initially, the public hailed the Yayi
administration's decision to tackle this issue as a sign of the
GOB's commitment to a better administration policy that would bring
central government closer to the 6 provinces. However, given the
tense political situation prevailing in the country, commentators
question the advisability of announcing the designation of capitals
at this point. The issue is a political "hot potato", and as such is

COTONOU 00000657 002 OF 002


rife to be exploited by President Yayi's political opponents to
foment protests. The Minister of Decentralization's announcement
may have been made to gauge popular response to the decision. As
such it was a tactical error which opened the GOB to criticism by
the opposition for a perceived lack of coordination and cohesion
within the administration when the announcement had to be revoked.
END COMMENT.

BOUSTANI