CAMEROON: BIYA'S SPEECH OUT OF TOUCH AND UNHELPFUL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000193 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE NDJAMENA PLEASE PASS TO DAS SWAN E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PHUM ELAB PINR PGOV KPAO ASEC CM SUBJECT: CAMEROON: BIYA'S SPEECH OUT OF TOUCH AND UNHELPFUL REF: (A) YAOUNDE 0191 (B) YAOUNDE 0190(C) YAOUNDE 0121 (D) YAOUNDE 0182 ¶1. (SBU) President Paul Biya addressed the Cameroonian people February 27 on the recent violence in Cameroon. He minced no words, blaming opposition politicians (whom he labeled "demons") for manipulating the country's youth to "obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box." He warned he would use "all legal means" to restore law and order. ¶2. (U) The text of Biya's speech follows: Our country is witnessing a situation which brings back unpleasant memories of a period we thought was long gone. While it may be understandable that when negotiations fail, the demands of a group are sometimes expressed through strikes, it is unacceptable that such action should serve as a pretext for the outpourings of violence against people and property. Besides, it is now established that any industrial dispute can always be resolved through negotiation. In actual fact, that is not the problem. What is at issue is the use, not to say exploitation of the transporters' strike for political ends. For some people, who by the way, did not hide their intentions, the objective is to obtain through violence what they were unable to obtain through the ballot box, that is to say, through the normal functioning of democracy. They therefore did not hesitate to throw into the streets bands of youths who were joined by delinquents lured by the possibility of looting. The results are there: public buildings destroyed or burnt down, shops and businesses looted or devastated. Be it State property, I mean our common heritage, or private premises; these are years of efforts thus reduced to nothing. The demons, who manipulated these youths behind the scenes, were not bothered about the risks by exposing them to confrontations with the forces of law and order. As a result, several of them lost their lives, which, of course, cannot but be deplored. When the human and material toll of these dark days will be taken, it will probably be very heavy. Those behind these manipulations definitely did not have the good of our people in their mind. A country cannot be built through destruction. It should therefore be made absolutely clear that Cameroon is a Constitutional State and intends to remain so. It has democratic institutions which are functioning normally. It is within this framework that the nation's problems are addressed. It is not in the street that they are resolved. The vast majority of our people long for peace and stability. The last elections proved this. Cameroonians know that disorder can only bring about calamity and misery. We cannot allow that to happen. To those who are responsible for manipulating the youth to achieve their aims, I want to tell them that their attempts are doomed to failure. All legal means available to Government will be brought into play to ensure the rule of law. End of Text Fear and Defiance -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The President's speech appears to have been designed to intimidate the people from joining demonstrations, whether their motivation is economic (cost of living) or political (extension of his tenure in office),or both. The general population is fearful of the repercussions of the speech. Biya stated that there would be zero tolerance. The army has been deployed in five of the ten provinces of Cameroon that are experiencing violence (Littoral, West, Southwest, Northwest, and Center). This is the first time that the army has been deployed to quell civil disturbances since the turbulent 1990s. The army is a third category force of maintaining law and order, meaning that only the President can call them into action. Observers note that the current situation has escalated much faster than in the 1990s. Opposition Parties -------------- ¶4. (SBU) In addition to fear, the speech may have produced another effect: defiance. Poloff spoke with John Fru Ndi, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF),who stated that the President's speech was a "declaration of war." The President, Fru Ndi added, called the people "vandals" and did not address the real issues underlying the people's grievances. Instead of calming the people, Fru Ndi said, the President's remarks inflamed them. Biya was trying to appeal to rioters to stop looting, but Fru Ndi reported that even he had been a victim as vandals attempted to YAOUNDE 00000193 002 OF 002 break into the SDF building in Bamenda. He said he had heard that the army is under orders to "shoot to kill." Fru Ndi said that he did not expect the situation to improve anytime soon, and urged the international community to pressure Biya to negotiate. ¶5. (SBU) Poloff spoke with Anicet Ekane, President of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) political party based in Douala. He stated that the President's speech had completely closed the door to negotiations. Ekane said that the President has made it appear as if there were no problems and these were isolated incidents that have no basis in political reality. Furthermore, Ekane views the President as implying that the political parties that lost the elections were the ones orchestrating the violence. Ekane commented that people were "shocked" that the President did not attempt to calm the people but instead issued threats. He added that people had hoped that the President would attempt to open the door to negotiations, but now, has made the "door to shut threefold." GARVEY