GABON: PRESIDENT BONGO SAYS HE WILL FOCUS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LIBREVILLE 000539

SIPDIS

OES FOR ELEEN SHAW, SPECIAL ENVOY TODD STERN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/07/2014
TAGS: TSPL SENV GB
SUBJECT: GABON: PRESIDENT BONGO SAYS HE WILL FOCUS ON
COOPERATION IN COPENHAGEN

Classified By: Ambassador Eunice Reddick for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

1.(c) Summary: In a December 4 meeting with the Ambassador,
Gabon,s President Ali Bongo Ondimba said he would promote a
moderate, cooperative approach to finding solutions to the
effects of climate change at the Copenhagen conference. Some
African leaders are pressing for a &reparations8 fund from
developed countries for their years of pollution, a position
characterized by Bongo as &hardline.8 However, he supports
the AU initiative to provide technology and capacity-building
to Africa to mitigate the effects of climate change.
President Bongo will join other Central African heads of
state in Bangui December 13, where strategies for Copenhagen
will be discussed along with other regional economic and
financial issues under CEMAC. End Summary.

2.(c) In her first official meeting with Ali Bongo Ondimba
following his October 16 investiture, the Ambassador raised
several bilateral and regional issues, including the
Bilateral Investment Treaty, trafficking in persons,
conflicts in Africa, and Gabon in the UN Security Council
(septel). This cable focuses on the discussion of President
Bongo,s strategy and expectations for the UN climate change
conference in Copenhagen.
3.(c) President Bongo spoke at length about the Copenhagen
conference. He said the discussions are important for
Africa, and the Congo Basin forest countries must promote
themselves as &part of the solution.8 He said there are
countries, notably in West Africa in the Sahel, that are
taking a hard line on the issue of &reparations8 from
developed countries. Gabon and its Congo Basin neighbors are
not in the same category as the hard liners, Bongo noted, and
should take a constructive and cooperative approach to
developing alternative, clean energies. He alluded to
concerns, however, about some (unnamed) Central African
leaders who talk about &burning8 their forests to force the
hand of developed countries. The President spun this
scenario out to a situation that would be catastrophic in
terms of the threat to peace and security.
4.(c) Bongo welcomed the participation of President Obama in
Copenhagen, and the progress achieved with China and Brazil.
He said the greatest fear among African leaders is that they
will leave Copenhagen with no commitment from the developed
countries to control their carbon emissions and assist
developing countries deal with the impact of global warming.
He pointed out there is no longer any question about the
impact of global warming; now the effect is measureable.
Using similar technology, the impact of preserving forests is
also measureable. It is a &common good8 of the world. He
added that his recent mid-November discussions in London
focused on Prince Charles, project to save tropical
rainforests and the International Working Group on financing
reduction of greenhouse effect on tropical forests.
5.(c) The President said that Ethiopia's Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi will speak on behalf of the Africa group in
Copenhagen. The PM will base his remarks on the African
Union initiative to provide capacity building and technology
to Africa to overcome the effects of climate change. AU
Commission Chairperson (and former Gabon foreign minister)
Jean Ping is working closely with PM Meles on the Africa
position for Copenhagen. However, to ensure that Gabon,s
interests are presented, President Bongo intends to speak as
a &respondent8 to PM Meles. Bongo said the Central African
heads of state will have an opportunity to coordinate their
position at the meeting of the Economic and Monetary
Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) in Bangui on December 13.
(Note: Interestingly, Bongo had little to say when asked
about the invitation from President Sarkozy to Congo Basin
heads of state to meet December 16 in Paris to discuss
Copenhagen. His comment was limited to noting that Sarkozy,
who he recently met in Paris, is feeling neglected by
Washington.)
6.(c) Comment: President Bongo has made the Copenhagen
conference a priority as an initial step of the &Green
Gabon8 pillar of his &Emerging Gabon8 policy. He would
like to make Gabon a model for environmental protection, and
hopes to make forest protection and sustainable development
of natural resources a &win-win8 for Gabon, an expression
he uses frequently. The President expects to be an active
participant in Copenhagen and is gathering information on the
climate change strategies of Gabon,s partners. Following
the Ambassador,s meeting at the Presidency, the President
called in Japan,s ambassador to discuss Tokyo,s Copenhagen
strategy. He also met with China,s envoy. For the local
audience, Gabon,s RTG1 devoted more than an hour to
broascasting a press conference led by Gabon,s chief
Copenhagen negotiator to explain what,s at stake at the

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climate change talks. Embassy is sharing with Gabonese
officials the latest information on the U.S. position,
including the emerging consensus on the fund for developing
countries.
REDDICK