Cameroon: Forestry and Wildlife Minister Discusses CITES,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000087 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV PGOV EFIN KSCA AORC UNEP CM SUBJECT: Cameroon: Forestry and Wildlife Minister Discusses CITES, Forests REF: STATE 6668 ¶1. (U) Summary: On February 3, Ambassador met with Minister of Forests and Wildlife Elvis Ngolle Ngolle for a wide-ranging discussion of developments in his ministry, CITES and the Copenhagen Accord. The Minister was pleased with the outcome of Copenhagen and noted that COMIFAC has yet to schedule a meeting of Finance Ministers to discuss funding issues. Ngolle Ngolle saw the need for closer scrutiny of how planned mining projects might impact forests and argued that illegal logging has declined. End summary. CITES ¶2. (U) Ambassador delivered ref A demarche on U.S. species proposals under CITES. The Minister had no substantive response. However, he confirmed that the Government of Cameroon (GRC) will be represented at the March COP15 meeting in Doha. Copenhagen ¶3. (U) Ngolle Ngolle, who attended the Copenhagen summit, praised the event outcome as "good enough to move the issue forward," with almost every party committed to doing something about climate change. He was particularly pleased that forest interests were taken into account, which should benefit Cameroon. COMIFAC and other Financing ¶4. (SBU) The long anticipated meeting of Ministers of Finance to discuss a proposed autonomous financing mechanism for the Central African Forest Commission, COMIFAC (ref B) has been postponed, with no new date set, Ngolle Ngolle said. He complained that it is difficult to even get the Ministry of Finance to release the existing funds allotted to the ministry - "it's as if the Ministry of Finance doubts we actually do our projects," he remarked. Much of the money levied for conservation never makes it to the ministry, either because it is held up at Finance or disappears during collection, Ngolle Ngolle said. He thought the 2012 finance law would put the national budget on the Internet to promote greater transparency. Meetings On the Horizon ¶5. (U) Ngolle Ngolle hopes to host a Forum on Forests in March in Cameroon. He also plans to organize an extraordinary session of COMIFAC in Yaounde to seek a common position in Central Africa toward Copenhagen prior to the Bonn meeting. COMIFAC members are discussing an event to celebrate the declaration of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) in March but there is a disagreement between Cameroon and the DRC about who will host it. Managing the Forests ¶6. (U) Ambassador asked about the balance between forest conservation and mining interests. (Note: American company Geovic hopes to begin cobalt mining in Eastern Region by the end of 2010. Australian company Sundance is preparing to mine iron in the same region, while Cameroon Alumina Ltd. (CAL),a consortium including American company Hydromine, is exploring for bauxite in Adamaoua Region. World Wildlife Fund and some Western Embassies based in Yaounde have recently raised concerns about how proposed mining might undermine forest reserves, especially since the Eastern Region is heavily forested. End note.) Ngolle Ngolle acknowledged this could become a problem for Cameroon and that there was a need for closer GRC coordination and discussion on the issue. He opined that mining companies too often ignore forestry regulations and that forests are undervalued compared to mining resources. ¶7. (U) The GRC has reduced illegal logging over the past year to about one percent of all timber production, he said. The number of small permits (which facilitate illegal logging) was cut from 54 to less than 20 from 2009 to 2010. He hoped to strengthen internal controls with the help of an EU independent observer. He wanted to empower local officials to take ownership of tree planting. ¶8. (U) The timber sector has almost recovered after being badly hurt by the global financial crisis, although prices are still low, according to the Minister. He hoped a new tax law favoring timber processing would encourage Cameroonians to use legally cut lumber. YAOUNDE 00000087 002 OF 002 Comment ¶9. (SBU) Ngolle Ngolle seems to be trying to improve governance in the corruption-riddled forestry and wildlife sectors. However, donors in the forestry sector paint a much grimmer picture of illegal logging and tell us that senior officials in the ministry and elsewhere in the government use the sector to fill their pockets. Despite Ngolle Ngolle's stated appreciation for another EU Independent Observer mission, the last Independent Observer told a recent meeting of donor Ambassadors he judged his work a complete failure due to obstruction in the government and private logging companies. Ngolle Ngolle noted that a ban on the roadside sale of bush meat since January 2010 is slowly taking effect, although there is still a great need to educate local officials. He appears committed to fighting illegal wildlife trafficking - in the past month police apprehended 1,000 illegal parrots being smuggled out of Douala - but this too is a continuous fight against powerful, corrupt profiteers. GARVEY