CAMEROON GIVES POPE ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME, AMID

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000286 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C, DEPT PASS TO USDOC FOR ITA - BURRESS DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR DCH/DG - BILLERA/LEMARGIE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KPAO CM VT PGOV PREL KIRF PHUM SUBJECT: CAMEROON GIVES POPE ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME, AMID SOME GRUMBLING REF: A. A) YAOUNDE 224 ¶B. B) VATICAN 038 YAOUNDE 00000286 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: The Pope's March 17-20 day visit to Cameroon went smoothly, drawing large, enthusiastic crowds. The Pope drew criticism for his pre-arrival comments to the international press about condom usage. Government efforts to clean up the city (including the destruction of many illegal buildings) raised tensions in Yaounde prior to the visit, but they did not come to a head during the Pope's stay. State-run and independent media fully covered the event, with the focus on the positive aspects of the trip as well as some coverage of the Pope,s anti-corruption message. End summary. Pre-Arrival Tensions -------------- ¶2. (U) The Government of Cameroon (GRC) went all out to prepare for the Pope's visit. This included cleaning up all major streets that he would travel on, as well as doing away with decrepit and flimsy kiosks around the Central Market. Although the Pope was not planning to travel near this market, the Government Delegate (equivalent of mayor) used the city-wide clean-up to advance his personal goal of getting rid of structures built by squatters - often market booths or make-shift houses. This destruction of property caused tension levels in the city to rise, just days before the Pope's visit. People of all economic levels were dismayed by the tearing down of these structures, and many commented that "the Pope would not have wanted people to lose their livelihoods due to his visit". On the day of the Pope's public mass, street vendors and police clashed after police told vendors that they were required to close their shops located three kilometers from the mass for security reasons. In the confrontation, a vendor was shot in the leg. This confrontation was not publicized and most mass attendees were unaware of the situation. In addition, some Yaounde residents resented the large amounts of money spent to beautify Yaounde prior to the Pope's arrival. ¶3. (U) Additional problems occurred during general registration for the large Papal Mass held March 19 in the national football stadium. Citizens could register at their local Catholic church or Mosque, but the event quickly became overregistered, and parish members were told a week before the mass that they should plan on arriving early in order to enter the stadium. Ticket holders who were not able to enter the stadium could listen to the event via loudspeakers placed outside. Several Embassy employees registered for the mass but did not receive tickets because their parishes had already used up their allotments. Cameroon Pulls it Off -------------- ¶4. (U) Although preparations were finished at the absolute last minute (flags were still being hung as the Pope arrived),the GRC managed to have everything in place for the Pontiff's arrival. Most ambassadors and ministers, regardless of their religious beliefs, were on hand to receive the Pope at the airport and to participate in Vespers the next day. Interestingly, Muslim members of government chose to wear business suits to both events, rather than their traditional robes. Thousands of citizens waited hours in the streets to catch a glimpse of the Pope's motorcade, most dressed in special fabric made for the Pope's visit. Drummers, dance groups and choral groups celebrated as they waited for his arrival. ¶5. (U) President Biya received the Pope on the morning of March 18 with a private audience followed by a meeting with the President's immediate family. The President's children and stepchildren received rare media coverage during the visit. Domestic and international press covered the First Lady's clothing and unusual hair style during the Pope's visit, which featured large hats bearing the Pope's cross. A link to photo coverage can be found at: www.boston.com/news/local/articles of faith/ 2009/03/quel chapeau ca.html ¶6. (U) The Pope met briefly with leaders from other religions. According to media sources, the meeting was less YAOUNDE 00000286 002.2 OF 003 of a dialogue and more a chance for each group to read prepared remarks. The fifteen minute meeting was featured by local media sources, but not given a lot of coverage. One last present.... -------------- ¶7. (U) The pope received one last (unexpected) present before leaving Cameroon. A group of Baka Pygmies (hunter-gatherers from the rainforest) came to the Nunciature on Friday, asking to meet with the Pope before he departed. They quickly built a traditional hut, then presented him with a basket, a cloth mat, and a turtle - a sign of respect in their culture. Corruption, not Condoms -------------- ¶8. (U) Media reaction to the Pope's visit differed between international and domestic coverage. International press centered on the Pope's comments, given during his flight to Yaounde, that condom distribution is not the solution to preventing HIV/AIDS, that in fact condom use actually worsens the problem. Independent domestic press focused on the Pope's comments on the lack of good governance and corruption in Africa, two of Cameroon's greatest problems. The Pope also spoke out against abuses of power. State-run press downplayed the condom controversy, giving an all-positive focus to his trip. Media Coverage - "Hilarious Welcome" -------------- ¶9. (SBU) This visit dominated Cameroonian media before, during and after the event. With the exception of the Pope's arrival, state-run Cameroonian radio and television (CRTV) broadcast all of the Pope's public appearances live and rebroadcasts of his meetings ran after hours. We don't known why the arrival was not shown live, but rumors abound that it was yet another sabotage attempt by some within CRTV to undermine President Biya's confidence in the embattled General Manager of the organization. Coverage by CRTV was universally positive, with headlines such as "Cameroon has the Honor", "In Triumph", "Hilarious Welcome" (a bad translation from French attempting to convey the joyous welcome the Pope received). ¶10. (U) Independent media coverage of governmental actions prior to the Pope's visit was not as positive. Headlines such as "Many Lives Broken as Capital is Smashed to Make Way for Pope" were common. One paper claims that thousands were left homeless or without a livelihood after their homes and market booths were destroyed. A cartoon in the anglophone paper, The Post, showed President Biya and a clergyman carrying the Pope on a litter through the streets, on the backs of Cameroonians. One of the Cameroonians in the cartoon comments, "Each time the Pope visits us, our misery seems to increase." Comment -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Overall, the Pope's visit went smoothly and events were well organized. While Cameroonians were genuinely thrilled to have the Pope here, commentators said there appeared to be more tension surrounding this visit than during prior papal visits, perhaps due to greater poverty levels. The city government's destruction of illegal properties has been ongoing for several years and has met with mixed reactions. What surprised many in Yaounde was the timing and extensive scale of destruction over the week prior to the Pope,s arrival. ¶12. (SBU) Many Cameroonians were disappointed that the Pope did not directly address domestic political issues such as Cameroon's corruption and backsliding on democracy. The Pope's visit came soon after the one year anniversary of the February 2008 riots, which were sparked by commodity price increases and the President's decision to amend the constitution to do away with term limits. The trip also came just weeks after Amnesty International accused the GRC of extrajudicial execution, arbitrary arrest, torture and unlawful detention. The President's recent decision to pack the new electoral commission with party faithful was also widely unpopular. The Pope also addressed the Cameroonian people in French and English, which commentators pointed out is something YAOUNDE 00000286 003.2 OF 003 President Biya has never done. Cardinal Christian Tumi, often outspoken in his anti-government views, openly criticized Biya during and after the papal visit, calling on the President (who has been in power for 26 years) to announce he will not seek reelection in 2011, while characterizing Cameroon as "more dictatorship than democracy". Against this backdrop, and given the excitement about the Papal visit, it is not surprising that the Pope appeared to get a warmer public reception than the President. GARVEY