French DCM on Cote d'Ivoire Peace Process

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000272

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E.O. 12958: DECLASSIFY ON 04/10/2028
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KDEM UV IV
SUBJECT: French DCM on Cote d'Ivoire Peace Process

REF: (A) ABIDJAN 00194

(B) 07 OUAGADOUGOU 0892
(C) OUAGADOUGOU 0037

Classified by Amb. J Jackson for reason 1.4 (b) (d)


1. (C) Summary: The French DCM told us April 8 that progress
at the latest round of Cote d'Ivoire peace talks held March
21 in Ouagadougou was modest, with good results in issuing
almost 500,000 birth certificates to identify Ivorian
citizens, but little success in disarming northern Cote
d'Ivoire and reestablishing government authority. President
Compaore invited several new observers to this round of
talks, and donors agreed to pay for some costs related to
disarming former rebels and the Presidential election, which
is now likely to be held at the end of 2008 at the earliest.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) DCM called on French Embassy DCM Xavier Brun on
April 8 to hear French views on the March 21 meeting of the
Committee to Evaluate and Accompany (CEA) to the Ouagadougou
Political Accord (OPA). France was represented at the
meeting by the head of its Africa Bureau, its Ambassador
based in Abidjan, and Brun (notetaker). Wanda Nesbitt, U.S.
Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, visited Ouagadougou to cover
the CEA meeting (ref A). Burkina Faso President Blaise
Compaore, the OPA Facilitator, invited new countries and
international organizations to attend this latest CEA round:


-- Norway (which Brun said had contributed money to fund the
Abidjan office of Compaore's special representative for the
OPA, Boureima Badini);
-- Belgium (which Compaore was hopeful would contribute
money to the OPA process);
-- Brazil (which plans to open an Embassy in Ouagadougou in
the wake of President Lula's visit here last fall (ref B));
and the
-- Organization of the Islamic Conference (whose 11th
session Compaore attended in Dakar in early March, and whose
representative at the CEA called for a free and fair
Presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire).

Brun noted that the Catholic Church-affiliated NGO,
"Community of Sant'Egidio" had been at the January 14 CEA
meeting (ref C),but was absent this time.

Progress in OPA Slows Down ...
--------------


3. (C) Brun said that, while there had been no open discord
among participants, this CEA round had been less productive
than the previous. Because the OPA process had started to
"stagnate," the French assessment was that the earliest date
when Presidential elections could be held had slipped to the
end of 2008. This reflected, Brun felt, the relative
paucity of progress on the ground in Cote d'Ivoire, with:

-- insufficient reimplantation of Cote d'Ivoire Government
(GOCI) Customs and other officials into the north, where
former "Forces Nouvelles" rebels continue to levy "taxes";
-- limited progress on disarmament of the ex-rebels, who are
hesitating to turn in their weapons; and,
-- no response from the GOCI so far to Compaore's proposal
providing quotas and ranks for integrating ex-rebels into
the armed forces.


4. (SBU) Another major stumbling block, and a focus of
discussions at this CEA round, was how to pay for the peace
process and elections, Brun said. Ivorian Prime Minister
Guillaume Soro "pleaded" with donors for funding to cover
the cost of the:

-- contract with SAGEM (the French technical operator chosen
to produce ID and voter registration cards);
-- Presidential elections; and the
-- GOCI's debt arrears.

Soro also reiterated his earlier call for Ivorian political
parties and civil society to adhere to a "code of good
behavior" during the Presidential campaign and election,
Brun added.

But Modest Progress Still Achieved
--------------

5. (C) Brun emphasized, however, that one OPA success story
had been the issuance of almost 500,000 birth certificates
through the work of the "audiences foraines" (mobile
tribunals for identification). Brun explained that the
representative of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara's

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Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD) had lobbied at the
CEA for the extension, beyond three months, of the period
during which each of over 100 "audience foraines" would
operate. The RDD wanted this extension in hopes of
identifying more voters in the north, Brun explained, but
there was no consensus at the CEA in favor of an extension,
and this proposal was dropped.


6. (C) Other modest signs of progress at the meeting, Brun
added, were:

-- a reaffirmation by all signatories of the importance of
holding Presidential elections as soon as possible;
-- agreement by the donors to help cover the cost of the
elections (but not the cost of the SAGEM contract or debt
arrears);
-- willingness by donors to finance part of the costs of
ex-rebel demobilization, disarmament and reinsertion (DDR)
(but not the rebels' salary stipends, which have only been
partially paid); and,
-- a GOCI decree outlining the terms of cooperation between
SAGEM and the National Institute of Statistics in drawing up
voter lists.


7. (SBU) Brun closed by expressing appreciation for the
"efficient" work of the UN Special Representative for Cote
d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, whom he felt did a fine job of
consulting with donors over lunch and then explaining well
to the signatories what the donors would be willing to pay
for.



JACKSON