FRENCH-CAR RELATIONS SERIOUSLY STRAINED

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGUI 000120 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C PARIS FOR RKANEDA LONDON FOR PLORD AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL,CKOCH E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT SUBJECT: FRENCH-CAR RELATIONS SERIOUSLY STRAINED REF: 09 BANGUI 118 1.(SBU) SUMMARY: In the 49 years since the independence of the Central African Republic (CAR),the French have been the dominant foreign force and their military and financial aid continues to be an essential crutch supporting the government of President Francois Bozize. Yet despite France's historic engagement in the CAR and the traditional deference which the CAR's population holds the power of the French government, it is increasingly clear that French patience is wearing very thin and may be approaching its limit. Bozize, and indeed most Central Africans, appear to be blind to what we see as clear signals from Paris. President Bozize may still believe himself indispensible to France, but Post suspects he is wrong. END SUMMARY ¶2. (SBU) For at least the last eighteen months, in both Bangui and Paris, the French have consistently expressed deep frustration with the Central African Government (CARG) to Embassy Bangui staff. They are now willing to express that frustration directly to the highest levels of the United Nations. The French ambassador was extremely candid with United Nations Undersecretary for Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe during a recent lunch at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence. (NOTE: Pascoe is the former U.S. ambassador to Indonesia. Also, present was the United Nations' interim resident representative). On a macro level, President Sarkozy has been calling for a reorientation of French policy vis a vis Africa, away from the post colonial patronage of previous Gaullist governments to a more pragmatic relationship based on French economic interests. An advisor on Sub-Saharan African Affairs to President Sarkozy further confirmed this attitude in regards to Central Africa in separate meetings with the Ambassador and POLOFF several times over the last eighteen months. The Bozize/Sarkozy meeting of twelve minutes in 2007, and the tongue lashing that accompanied it, is renowned and symptomatic of the frosty relations between the two capitals. According to reliable sources, Sarkozy said: ``This is what I/France have done FOR you and this is what you have done TO me/France.'' The French refer to the meeting as the ``icy shower.'' The follow-on meeting at the Quai was longer and chillier. It is very clear that the days of Valery Giscard D'Estaing calling Emperor Bokassa his ``friend and family member'' are long gone, even if this fact escapes most Central Africans, especially those in the CARG. ¶3. (SBU) The Central Africans have not made this a difficult decision for the French. The constant frustrations facing French commercial giants such as Total and AREVA are well known. While France used to count on the CAR as a valuable reserve of uranium, it is very clear that the double dealing of the Minister of Mines, among others, in renegotiating contracts is pushing the French beyond even their normally generous limits. Additionally, the obtuse behavior of the CARG in naming Saifee Durbar, a man wanted for fraud in France, as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs has seriously strained relations. While it appeared at first that the French might hold their noses and grant a diplomatic visa to Durbar in exchange for the Areva deal, it is now clear that this is not the case. French indignation was probably increased then they learned that Durbar's Hydro-Finance company had been given exclusive rights to provide electrical power to Areva. Post does not have all the details, but it is clear that the dam needed to provide this power does not exist. Durbar has also secured the rights to large concessions all around Areva's holdings for his Swiss company, Uranio, AG. Again, Post do not have the details, but is willing to speculate that Areva might be boxed in. The United Nations' interim Resident Representative marveled to the U.S. ambassador that in personal conversations with him, President Bozize continued to defend Durbar. He dismissed any French objections to Durbar as being simply sour grapes as Durbar had defended Central African interests. NOTE: The French were not amused when an anonymous leaflet appeared in Bangui inviting violence against the French Deputy Chief of Mission for his actions against Durbar. This is the first time that anyone can remember such a leaflet circulating in Bangui. END NOTE. ¶4. (SBU) Furthermore, the French military, which has poured surplus material and training into the FACA, the gendarmes and BANGUI 00000120 002 OF 002 the police for many years, only to see the material fall apart and the training ill used, is deeply frustrated as well. After a French Gendarme was assaulted during the 14 July national day ceremony in 2007 by a member of Bozize's Presidential Guard (GP),all cooperation with the GP was cut off. (Bozize declined to attend the French National Day in 2008.) Furthermore, the French, who in the late 1990's had four military bases in the CAR, now have 250 soldiers total in the country, based mostly in Bangui. So while the French may still be at the center of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration efforts and Security Sector Reform, as well as the main contributor of bilateral aid, it is clear that this is more of a historic remnant than a forward moving policy leading to deeper cooperation. Indeed, the French say that they are shifting all of their regional/geostrategic military engagement to MICOPAX. To that end, they are helping to set up a headquarters staff in Libreville. It appears that they hope eventually to be able to use MICOPAX troops as a quick reaction force, until they can fly in their own troops from Gabon, in the event of evacuation. ¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: If the French were indeed to retract all political, economic and military aid, it is almost certain the Bozize government, as it currently behaves, would crumble (RRF 09 BANGUI 118). Yet it is unclear that Bozize thinks this even a remote possibility. In spite of, or because of, being raised in the court of Emperor Bokassa and witness to his deposition by the French, and to the various French military actions in the CAR over the past 30 years (including the bombardment of rebels headed towards Bangui in 2007),Bozize, and indeed most Central Africans, remains blind to the shifting signals from Paris. Bozize may believe that he has successfully rendered himself the least of the evils in the CAR political landscape. He thus appears to imagine himself indispensible to his neighbors and the French, an assumption that AmEmbassy Bangui believes may be badly mistaken. END COMMENT COOK