CAMEROON'S JUSTICE MINISTER ON BIYA'S PLANS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000480

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO USAID
COMMERCE FOR ITA KAREN BURRESS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/18/2019
TAGS: KCOR PREL PGOV PHUM OSEC CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S JUSTICE MINISTER ON BIYA'S PLANS,
PRISONS AND ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSISTANCE

REF: A. DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

B. 31020Z APR 09

C. YAONDE 275

D. YAOUNDE 256

Classified By: Political Officer Tad Brown for Reasons 1.4 b and d.


1. (C) Summary. Amadou Ali, Cameroon's Vice Prime Minister
and Minister of Justice and one of the country's senior
political leaders, professes he still does not know whether
or not President Biya will run for reelection in 2011, but he
insists Biya will step aside before another term expires, if
not sooner, and pass power to a successor chosen by Biya, not
in an open democratic process. Ambassador called on Minister
of Justice and Vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali on May 18 to
thank Ali for his swift action to address the Embassy's
concern about Franck Abega, a Cameroonian who murdered a
fellow student at the American School of Yaounde (ASOY) in
2005 and recently showed up at the school. End summary.

Ali's Responsive to US
Concerns About Abega
--------------


2. (SBU) Ali told the Ambassador that he had ordered an
investigation into the circumstances that allowed for the
recent escape of Franck Abega from Jamot Hospital ("three
prison guards were assigned to watch him that day; none of
them were present") and a review of Abega's case. (Note:
Abega was immediately apprehended outside ASOY school and
brought back to Jamot Hospital. The incident shook up the
school community and has been the subject of several Embassy
demarches, reported more septel. End note.) Ali said he
also ordered a review of Abega's case. Ali said he was
unconvinced that Abega was unfit to stand trial and
predicted, "at least we can put him in prison." Ali
mentioned that Abega's father, renowned Cameroonian football
star Theophile Abega, had accosted a prison guard over the
weekend of May 15 and raised the possibility that he, too,
would be charged. The Ambassador thanked Ali for the
Government of Cameroon's (GRC) commitment to ensuring the
security of ASOY staff and premises.

Prisons: Nothing to Hide;
Working to Improve Conditions
--------------


3. (U) The Ambassador thanked Ali for having granted
permission, on less than one week's notice, for the Embassy
Political Specialist to visit three separate prisons
(septel). Ali insisted that he had "nothing to hide" and
welcomed such visits, which he hoped would confirm that the
Government of Cameroon is making a concerted effort to
improve prison conditions. "We know the funds for food are
insufficient," he admitted, "but we are arguing to increase
the budget" and would welcome any charities willing to
operate in the prisons. Ali said the death penalty remains
legal in Cameroon, but hasn't been carried out in many years
because Biya continues to commute sentences to life
imprisonment. Ali said it was important to leave the death
penalty on the books as a deterrent to serious crime.

Anti-Corruption Cooperation
--------------


4. (U) Ali welcomed the USG's invitation to bring
Cameroonian officials to participate in a conference on
corruption in Tanzania in June (ref a) and said the GRC would
identify which officials would be best placed to participate.

Biya Might Run in 2011
But Will Step Down Soon
--------------


5. (C) As in previous meetings (ref b and c),Ali spoke at
length about Biya and post-Biya scenarios. Ali said Biya has
a bitterness ("amertume") towards "the youth" (meaning anyone
under 70) because of his experience with former ministers
like Abah Abah (Finance),Olanguena (Health) and Mebara
(Presidency and Foreign Affairs),all of whom are a
generation younger than Biya and Ali and now incarcerated and
facing charges of corruption. Ali said he was still not
certain that Biya would run in 2011, but was categorical in
his assertion that Biya would step aside before finishing his
next mandate if he did run. Ali said he was certain Biya
would carefully orchestrate his succession to ensure
stability and national unity. Ali admitted he did not know

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how Biya would manage his succession, but clearly did not
believe Biya's successor would be chosen in an open
democratic process. Ali predicted Biya would choose someone
from the next generation ("between 50 and 65 years old, which
is young for the President") and boasted that Cameroon,
unlike its neighbors, would not pass the presidency down
through the family.

Priority on Economy and Finance
Biya Chooses "West" Over China
--------------


6. (SBU) Ali said Biya's priorities are "economy and
finance," saying the GRC was eager to benefit from the G20
assistance promised through the IMF (which Ali implied was
appropriate, given that the G20 had caused the crisis). Ali
said the crisis had noticeably affected Cameroon's finances,
commenting "spending has been cut drastically and some
investments will be deferred, but we will be okay as long as
we can pay salaries." Ali said Biya prefers to interact with
the West as opposed to China, whereas "Africans" are
generally attracted by the swiftness of China's delivery on
its assistance, bemoaning that "we wait for years while the
West conducts study after study." Biya recognizes, Ali said,
that China's assistance also comes with strings attached and
has not bought in as others have.

Comment: If Ali Doesn't
Know, Who Does?
--------------


7. (C) Although Ali professes his fair share of cynicism
about human rights and civil society, we continue to be
impressed by his engagement in the pressing issues under his
purview (prisons, the judiciary, prosecuting financial
crimes) and his openness to us, even when discussing the
GRC's most sensitive issues. His frequent unprompted musings
about Biya and the presidential succession likely reflect the
Cameroonian political class' increasing obsession with
predicting and planning for the post-Biya era. Ali seemed
supremely confident that Biya had a plan for his succession
and that it would be a good one. Perhaps Ali knows more than
he lets on, but it is remarkable that someone with Ali's
stature and experience with Biya would profess such little
knowledge of Biya's plans.
GARVEY