AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE: ALL HANDS ENGAGED IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 YAOUNDE 000913

SIPDIS

STATE ALSO FOR INL/C AND AF/C

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/08/2018
TAGS: AMGT CM KCOR PGOV PINR PREL
SUBJECT: AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE: ALL HANDS ENGAGED IN
ANTI-CORRUPTION FIGHT

REF: A. YAOUNDE 800

B. YAOUNDE 784

C. YAOUNDE 546

Classified By: Political officer Tad Brown for reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary: All elements of the U.S. Mission to
Cameroon are engaged in aggressively fighting corruption and
promoting good governance in Cameroon, a paramount USG
objective inextricably linked to strengthening democratic
institutions and furthering economic development. With no
corruption program budget, we have used public outreach
(including Ambassadorial speeches and off-the-record
briefings),consular tools, law enforcement collaboration and
management techniques to send a clear message: backing
rhetoric with action, the USG will play a transformative role
in fighting corruption in Cameroon. Cameroonians, including
some members of government, have applauded this engagement
and hailed the USG's efforts to transform Cameroon's war
against corruption from a battle of words to a campaign of
action. A string of high profile arrests and more open
discussion of corruption suggests our efforts are having an
impact. End summary.

The Corruption Context
--------------


2. (SBU) Cameroon is seen--by foreign observers and
Cameroonians themselves--as among the most corrupt countries
in the world. From the gendarmes who erect road check points
to demand bribes--not check vehicles (they are known as
"mange mille" for their appetite for 1,000 CFA (about $2)
bills)--to paragons of grand corruption (former Finance
Minister Abah Abah's ill-gotten fortune is reputed to
approach $1 billion),corruption is pervasive in Cameroon.
Transparency International's (TI) Corruption Perception Index
ranks Cameroon 138 out of 179 countries surveyed, and a 2007
survey under TI's auspices found that 80% of Cameroonian
households had paid a bribe within the preceding 12 months.
The Minister of Justice estimates that 70 cents out of each
dollar in the budget is stolen. Cursory reviews of the
purchases made with funds from debt forgiveness (the
Highly-Indebted Poor Countries or HIPC process) indicate that
corruption and governance remain problematic; government
officials stole money from line items that were extraneous in
the first place (skimming money from a contract for expensive
office furniture, for example).

Law Enforcement: Bad Guys Behind Bars
--------------


3. (SBU) Drawing on materials provided by the International
Law Enforcement Academies (ILEA),members of the Regional
Security Office (RSO) conducted a three-day course in
professional ethics to approximately 150 police officers
assigned to the Diplomatic Security Unit. The RSO and
Consular Section, working in close collaboration with local
law enforcement officials, have seen to the arrest of
approximately 140 individuals who committed or abetted
fraudulent activity.

Training the Watchdog: Media Outreach
--------------


4. (SBU) Yaounde's Public Affairs Office (PAO) worked with
a former Alfred Friendly fellowship winner to conduct a
workshop that instructed Cameroonian journalists on the
proper methods of investigative journalism, an effort that
will likely lead to establishment of a center for
investigative journalism in the provincial capital of
Bamenda. The PAO is supporting a meeting of Cameroon's
journalists' association (CAMASEJ) that will focus on the
need to eliminate corruption among journalists, many of whom
have grown accustomed to accepting bribes (called "gombo") in
exchange for writing flattering stories. (Note: Corruption
in journalism has a direct impact on the US; our experience
with fraudulent asylum applications shows that prospective
beneficiaries plant false stories in the Cameroonian press in
order to convince a US immigration judge that their fear of
persecution is real. End note.) A similar message will be
conveyed, with PAO support, to the General Assembly of the
Cameroon Media Council later this year. In late-September,
PAO will host a DVC conversation with journalists in Douala,
focusing on basic principles of transparency.

Speaking Out: The Ambassador's Role
--------------

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5. (SBU) The Ambassador has taken advantage of her public
profile in Cameroon to deliver frank assessments of
corruption and poor governance. For example, speaking in
April to a gathering of students at Cameroon's Institute for
Management, the Ambassador encouraged the graduating class of
future government officials to take their public service
seriously, cautioning that "corruption undermines the
confidence of the international community and investors who
would want to come and increased the potential wealth of
Cameroon."

Speaking Frankly in Private Diplomacy
--------------


6. (C) The Ambassador and other Emboffs have delivered
frank anti-corruption messages to GRC officials and other
influential actors. In her conversations with President
Biya, Ambassador has emphasized the need to tackle
institutional corruption and praised those GRC officials who
have improved governance in their agencies. Emboffs have
raised concerns about corruption--including specific corrupt
officials--in meetings with public servants at all levels,
from ministers to working-level officials. In a September 18
meeting with Yaounde Archbishop Takot, Ambassador emphasized
the need for civil society to pressure the GRC on
anti-corruption issues.

Management: The Power of the Good Example
--------------


7. (SBU) As the Embassy unit that engages in business
transactions with the Cameroonian public, the Management
Section has explicitly sought to provide a model of good
governance through its behavior. For example, Cameroon's
Director of Customs lavished praise on the Management
Section's decision to invite customs officials to attend the
public sale of Embassy property, ensuring that proper duties
are paid and collected on items sold. The Management Section
is cognizant of the demonstrative impact it can have by
conducting proper tender offers. In awarding the tender for
upkeep of the Embassy grounds, for example, the Management
Section went through special effort to ensure the process was
transparent; the incumbent company (which lost) and a female
entrepreneur (who won) both professed surprise that the
process had been so open and competitive. In a similar vein,
the Embassy returned a number of contributions to the July 4
celebration, including letters and verbal explanations for
why the contributions did not fit within closely prescribed
regulations for the event. Similarly, Poloffs have devoted
substantial time and energy to prevent and root out
corruption and bad governance in USG Food for Progress
programs worth approximately $20 million.

A Team Effort: Proclamation 7750
--------------


8. (C) Working as an informal task force that encompasses
the Front Office, Pol-Econ, Consular, Public Affairs and the
DAO, Embassy Yaounde has implemented Proclamation 7750
aggressively; subjects of SAO requests in the last two years
include the former Minister of Finance, the head of a large
parastatal, the current Minister of Defense and a senior
official engaged in the mining sector. Post has leveraged
212f ineligibilities to force the GRC's hand in removing a
corrupt minister and in preventing another corrupt official
from fleeing Cameroonian justice and seeking refuge in the
U.S.

9.(SBU) Post has used Proclamation 7750 to put the USG's
commitment to anti-corruption on the front page of Cameroon's
news. The Ambassador hosted a lunch with local journalists
to educate them on the Proclamation 7750 and the USG's
determination to deny safe haven to corrupt officials and
their ill-gotten gains, an outreach effort that resulted in
scores of high profile, universally popular stories hailing
the USG's policy. The publicity has sent a jolt through
Cameroon's corrupt cadres: journalists reported that Cabinet
officials called them, asking if their names were among those
"black-listed," and Cameroon's most prominent businessman
(embroiled in numerous corruption allegations) approached the
Embassy to "tell all" and deliver a duffel bag filled with
incriminating documents, which he apparently hoped would keep
him off our 212f list (septel).

Corruption in the Armed Forces
--------------

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10. (C) Recognizing that pervasive corruption in Cameroon's
armed forces poses a critical threat to American interests in
Cameroon and the region, on September 8-12, Yaounde's Defense
Attache Office brought corruption experts from the Defense
Institute of International Legal Studies (DIILS) to conduct a
four-day seminar on corruption in the armed forces.
Cameroon's media provided heavy coverage of the conference,
especially the Ambassador's remarks at the opening ceremony.
The Ambassador quoted members of Cameroon's armed forces who
have reported that "it is normal for senior officials to skim
from the military budget to build themselves fancy homes or
throw elaborate parties. They have said it is normal for
troops in the field to go without their proper food or health
benefits because the money never reached them."


11. (C) Minister of Defense Remy Ze Meka, himself one of
Cameroon's most corrupt officials, telephoned the Defense
Attache to express his displeasure that corruption in the
military was in the spotlight; the military's rank-and-file,
press reports, and other government officials with whom we
spoke were, however, unanimously grateful for the conference,
and President Biya had expressed his support for the concept
when the Ambassador proposed it during their August 7
conversations (refs a and b).


12. (SBU) In providing dozens of training opportunities to
members of Cameroon's armed forces, the DAO emphasizes the
need to improve governance and professionalism in the
military. Recipients of training in the coming months will
include the Secretary General at the Ministry of Defense and
a member of the National Assembly Armed Forces Committee.

Strengthening the Watchdogs
--------------


13. (C) Post used terrorist finance demarches to cultivate
a very close relationship with ANIF, the GRC's primary
anti-money laundering agency. When ANIF was feeling
beleaguered by threats and pressure from powerful, corrupt
officials, the Ambassador urged President Biya to lend his
support to the organization, which helped provide it
much-needed cover. We worked with FINCEN and the Departments
of Justice and Homeland Security to organize a week of
consultations for ANIF officials in Washington; in October,
USG officials from FINCEN and USDOJ will to come to Cameroon
for follow-on training and for consultations with ANIF and
the Ministry of Justice on how to implement a Mutual Legal
Assistance agreement - all organized and financed by post.

Engaging Business
--------------


14. (C) The Embassy has been vigilant in working to ensure
that the USG and American citizens do not run afoul of the
governance precepts we preach, especially through enforcement
of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). When an
American company complained that the GRC was not fulfilling
its contractual obligations, Poloff reviewed the contract,
discovered a number of suspicious clauses, and encouraged the
GRC to review the case to ensure bribery and corruption were
not involved. Having received information suggesting that a
multinational firm traded on the NYSE may have paid bribes
and practiced trade-based money-laundering, post provided the
relevant details to investigators with the Security and
Exchange Commission (SEC) for follow-up, which is on-going.
Speaking at the September 9 meeting of the American Chamber
of Commerce, Poloff offered to help American companies faced
with bribery attempts, but also cautioned them to respect
their obligations under FCPA and other relevant American laws.

Comment: Transformational Diplomacy,
Yielding Results
-------------- --------------


15. (C) Corruption in Cameroon has become so pervasive that
it threatens to undermine the USG's objectives in Cameroon;
not just the three leading MSP goals (democracy, development
and stability),but an entire range of policy priorities,
including biodiversity, commercial outreach, AGOA, and avian
influenza. The size and scope of the problem--and the
stakes--are such that an "all hands" approach is necessary.
Working as a Mission and with negligible resources, AmEmbassy
Yaounde has helped transform Cameroon's anti-corruption
effort from a series of slogans and promises to one of the
more dynamic anti-corruption campaigns in the region.


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16. (C) We have begun to transform the corruption paradigm,
generating a greater emphasis on results, although a great
deal of work remains to be done. While it is difficult to
gauge the relative impact of USG pressure, the GRC's
"Operation Epervier" (Operation Sparrowhawk, an
anti-corruption campaign) has had some significant successes
over the past year. The government arrested the highly
corrupt former Ministers of Finance and Health, the Director
and Paymaster of Douala Port, the former Secretary General at
the Presidency, and many lower level officials. Prominent
figures like wealthy businessman Yves Michel Fotso are
holding press conferences to proclaim their innocence in
corruption scandals. The "Albatross Affair," a case of
high-level corruption related to the purchase of a
presidential plane (ref c) has resurfaced and continues to
make headlines. Local contacts believe that former Cameroon
Ambassador to the U.S. Jerome Mendouga has vanished for fear
of corruption-related prosecution.


17. (C) Many government critics point out that, despite
arresting several big fish, the GRC has done little to change
a system which perpetuates corruption or to go after the
smaller fry who harass average people on a daily basis. They
argue that Operation Eparvier is driven by politics more than
anti-corruption zeal. All of this is true; anti-corruption
efforts are being played out against a backdrop of complex
politics as power brokers vie to influence a future post-Biya
succession scenario. Cameroon has much work ahead of it to
turn the tide of its corrosive corruption. However, even
these critics are surprised at the scope of the government's
recent arrests. Cameroonians are eager to recover the
proceeds of officials who took their money out of the
country, a priority which many would say trumps arresting the
big perpetrators.


18. (C) The USG is seen, by the GRC and its critics, as the
main advocate for good governance in Cameroon. Post
appreciates Washington support in this effort as we continue
to look for ways and for resources to keep up the pressure on
the GRC. With negligible resources for anti-corruption
programming, our efforts thus far have relied on creativity
and activism. If and when Washington is able to make
available resources for anti-corruption programs (as
requested in Post's MSP and Operation Plans),Post's
efforts--and impact--will grow substantially.
GARVEY