VZCZCXYZ0013
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLC #0300/01 1241557
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 041557Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9047
INFO RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 1269
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0634
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0296
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0788
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0650

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIBREVILLE 000300 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS 
KINSHASA PASS BRAZZAVILLE 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/16/2016 
TAGS: PGOV GB TP
SUBJECT: GABON AND SAO TOME MISCELLANY APRIL 2006 
 
 
Classified By: POLITICAL OFFICER GLENN FEDZER FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) 
AND (D) 
 
¶1.  (U)  Mamboundou's Stay in South African Embassy Ended 
 
UPG (Union of Gabonese People) President and opposition 
leader Pierre Mamboundou, in the South African Embassy since 
March 21, left his refuge the morning of April 19.   A South 
African diplomat reported that the South African Ambassador 
accompanied him as far as the Presidency, where Mamboundou 
met with President Bongo. 
 
¶2.  (C)  Mamboundou demands concessions from President Bongo 
 
Sources from both sides indicate that the April 19 meeting 
between President Bongo and opposition leaders Pierre 
Mamboundou was a heated and difficult exchange, despite the 
positive spin put on the meeting by the Government controlled 
press.  Mamboundou reportedly made five demands from 
President Bongo: 
--Assure Mamboundou's personal security; 
--Give the UPG freedom of action; 
--Compel the government to respect the law; 
--Give opposition members access to the media; and 
--Give legal stature to opposition parties and politicians. 
For his part, the President complained that Mamboundou 
insulted him personally, and instigated violence during the 
Gabonese election. 
 
¶3.  (C)  Pierre Mamboundou May Get Official Post 
 
Opposition leader Pierre Mamboundou may get an official post 
as "Opposition Leader,"  including a budget and staff, 
according to Vice Prime Minister Louis Gaston Mayila. 
Mamboundou is currently staying in a suite in the Meridian 
Hotel (Mayila is reportedly on the hotel's board of 
directors), and has given several press conferences since his 
meeting with Bongo, elaborating his concerns on the current 
state of Gabonese politics.  Mayila privately says that 
Mamboundou should have some form of official recognition and 
protection.  He claims to have personally given Mamboundou 
money while he was in hiding in the South African Embassy. 
 
¶4.  (U)  Opposition Party Recognized 
 
Zacharie Myboto's political party, the Gabonese Union for 
Democracy and Development, was officially recognized by the 
Government.  Myboto, a former minister and Secretary General 
of President Bongo's Democratic Gabonese Party (PDG), broke 
with the President in April 2005, and finished third in the 
Presidential election in November 2005, when he ran as an 
independent.  Myboto and his party commemorated the party's 
new status with rallies over the April 29th weekend. 
 
¶5.  (C)  Senate President Competition Rumors Focus on Two 
Candidates 
 
The two names most frequently mentioned as replacements for 
recently deceased Gabonese Senate President Georges Rawiri 
are Senate First Secretary Claude Damas Ozimo and Senator 
Rene Radembinot Coniquet, both ethnic Myene, like Rawiri. 
Most of the money appears to be on Damas Ozimo.  A former 
Libreville mayor, Ozimo is prominent in the Masonic lodge 
Rawiri used to lead, and comes from an important political 
family (his father wrote the Gabonese National Anthem). 
Little is known about Radembinot Coniquet.  Both have 
maintained a low public profile.  The Senate position is 
important; upon the death of the President, the Senate 
President becomes the acting head of state.  That may also 
change; along with the rumors of Rawiri's replacement is 
another that the President will amend the constitution, 
moving the line of succession over to the head of the 
National Assembly. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Equatorial Guinean Asylum Applications Impeded 
 
Phillipe Kombila, the permanent Secretary of the Gabonese 
Mission for Refugees, told the Embassy that he had been 
instructed by senior Gabonese Government officials to move 
slowly when processing asylum and refugee applications from 
Equato-Guineans.  Kombila explained that the Government did 
not want to antagonize Equatorial Guinean President Obiang, 
particularly in light of the coup attempt that had been 
allegedly launched from Gabonese territory in May 2004. 
 
¶7.  (C)  Gabonese Pilot Claims Plan was to Shoot Down Deby's 
Plane 
 
A contact reports that the Gabonese pilot that flew Chadian 
President Dby back to N'Djemena suspected that elements 
planed to shoot the plane down just before arrival aspart 
of a coup attempt March 14.  The pilot, Cyraque Mbadinga, 
told the contact that he was questioned during his approach 
to N'djamena by the control tower, demanding to know who was 
on the flight.  The contact reports Mbadinga, sensing from 
the tone of the questions that something was wrong, 
immediately broke radio contact and made a quick landing. 
Mbadinga said French and Chadian troops were on the runway 
waiting for Deby to arrive, and quickly spirited him off the 
airplane and out of the airport. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Herve Patrick Opiangah Released From Prison 
 
The President of the Union for Democracy and Social 
Integration (UDIS) was released from prison in March, 
ostensibly for reasons of poor health.  Opiangah organized a 
protest in November 2004 demanding official recognition for 
his political party; several hundred of his supporters, some 
visibly armed with sharpened sticks, blocked a major road and 
faced down riot police for nearly three hours near the 
Presidential Palace until security forces broke up the group, 
unleashing tear gas and arresting demonstrators, including 
Opiangah.   Opiangah was arrested and jailed on weapons 
charges; he admitted having a pistol in his possession during 
the protest, but maintained it was a gift from Ali Bongo that 
he carried with him at all times for personal security. 
Other weapons were allegedly found at his home and business, 
although to no one's surprise, as he ran a security company. 
Opiangah's original sentence was set to expire in March 2007; 
his family has actively solicited his release on humanitarian 
grounds.  He a 
ppeared in good health during a meeting with the Embassy 
April 4, but complained that the Gabonese penal system is 
past the breaking point, with prisoners dying regularly of 
disease, mistreatment, and malnutrition.  He claims he was 
held in a small room with 40 other men for over six months; 
in that time the prisoners were not afforded any change of 
clothing or adequate water for personal hygiene; drinking 
water and food were also extremely limited. 
 
¶9.  (C)  Opposition Supporter Reports on 1 December Arrests 
 
UPG supporter Christian Nkombengnondo described to Poloff the 
aftermath of the police roundup following an opposition press 
conference 1 December 2005 (see 05 Libreville cable 0994). 
Nkombengnondo reported that he was handcuffed and beaten, and 
then held for three days with other detainees without food. 
On the fourth day he was fed and taken to court, where, 
unlike most, he was released.  He credits his good fortune to 
the influence of his mother (an influential supporter of the 
ruling PDG), but he reports that 18 others, including three 
15 year-olds, are still being held in the central prison. 
Nkombengnondo said the magistrate who handled his case was 
punished for releasing him.  She had been instructed to send 
anyone who even said "UPG" during pretrial interrogations 
straight to prison, and she was transferred to a remote 
province because of her leniency with Nkombengnondo. 
Nkombengnondo claims he fears for his life, citing the case 
of Alain Renamy Bisson, another 1 December detainee and UPG 
supporter, 
 seen standing next to him in a published photo.  Bisson was 
also released shortly after his arrest, but died recently. 
Nkombengnondo hinted that his death was "mysterious" and 
linked to his outspoken support of the opposition in Bongo's 
home province, but a high level UPG activist indicated that 
the death of the 42-year old Bisson was likely due to natural 
causes.  Comment: Nkombengnondo's account is reminiscent of 
that of his leader, Mamboundou, who also claims that he fears 
for his life.  We find both difficult to credit. 
 
¶10.  (C)  Ambassador Meets Gabonese Human Rights Minister 
 
The Ambassador met with Minister Pierre Claver Maganga 
Moussavou, who is responsible for human rights, and the fight 
against corruption.  Moussavou is the President of the Social 
Democrat Party.  He signed the 1994 Paris Accords as an 
opposition member, but has since taken his party into the 
"Presidential Majority."    Moussavou solicited USG help for 
both his portfolios; he honestly discussed current prison 
conditions, and asked for computers that could help 
authorities better manage pre-trial and post-sentencing 
populations.  Unlike his predecessor, Paul Mba Abessole 
(currently a Vice Prime Minister and Transport Minister), 
Moussavou seemed serious about his work.  He discussed 
concrete ways of making some headway in his portfolios, and 
noted it was due to his actions that Opiangah (see above) was 
released on medical grounds. 
 
¶11.  (U)  Taxi Union Threatens to Double Fare But-Not Just 
Yet 
 
Taxi Driver's Union President Jean-Robert Menie said his 
members will double their rates, from 100 CFA to 200 CFA for 
short rides in response to higher fuel prices.  This could 
have a ripple effect on the economy, if civil servants, who 
already receive a 17,000 CFA monthly allowance for transport, 
and others demand more money to cover the increase.   Menie 
initially threatened the fare increase for April 3, but was 
personally asked by the Gabonese Prime Minister to delay the 
action for one week to give the government time to find a 
solution.  As of May 4 Menie has yet to implement the fare 
increase. 
 
¶12.  (U)  Child Trafficking Study Release 
 
An extensive study on child trafficking, partially sponsored 
by the Minister of the Family and the Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, was released April 26.  The study, written by Denise 
Landria Ndembi, analyzed cases in Gabon, Benin, and Togo, and 
suggested ways of promoting regional and international 
cooperation to combat trafficking.  The study also made 
suggestions to redefine national strategies to improve 
education, economic development, and anti-poverty measures. 
DHANANI