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UNCLAS YAOUNDE 000117 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C, OES 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS 
EUCOM FOR J5-A AFRICA DIVISION AND POLAD YATES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EPET SENV CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON: COTCO OIL SPILL TROUBLING CALM WATERS 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) On January 19, Cameroonian newspapers reported an 
oil spill from the Cameroon Oil Transportation Company 
(COTCO) off the coast of Cameroon near Kribi.  COTCO Managing 
Director Jacky Lesage informed the Embassy that the spill 
took place some time during the night of January 14-15 from a 
ship 10 km offshore from Kribi.  The spill was discovered at 
07:00 on January 15.  COTCO does not know how long the spill 
lasted and had not yet assessed the volume of the spill, but 
Lesage estimated that it was less than 10 cubic meters, with 
a slick covering an area of approximately two square 
kilometers.  The slick is reported to be moving slowly away 
from the coast.  COTCO claims that there is no oil on the 
shore and no damage to the coastline, and that it is 
purposely "overreacting" in its response with treatments at 
sea and from the air to contain the spill. 
 
¶2.  (U) The Cameroonian press has disputed COTCO's account of 
the spill, citing a local NGO's claim that the oil slick is a 
catastrophe that threatens protected species, and criticized 
COTCO for taking too long to report the incident.  Local 
officials claimed that the spill threatens the livelihoods of 
fishermen in the area, and suggested that compensation be 
paid for loss of income.  Although several papers initially 
gave the story front page leads, they largely quoted  COTCO 
and downplayed the effect of the spill.  There has been 
little follow up, and the story was not picked up on local 
television or radio.  There was a report by the French 
channel RFI and one by VOA affiliate Magic FM that aired on 
January 25.  The Magic FM broadcast reported that the mayor 
of Kribi said that the spill threatened the fishing and 
tourist industries and that he worried about the long-term 
environmental effects -- the same concerns noted in newspaper 
reports. 
 
¶3.  (U) COTCO spokesman Guillaume E. Kwelle informed the 
Embassy January 23 that COTCO notified officials in Kribi 
immediately when they learned of the leak, and reiterated 
that their monitoring over the weekend confirmed that the 
environmental impact was minimal.  Later the same day, COTCO 
Managing Director Lesage told us that the source of the press 
reports was an interview he gave to the Cameroon Tribune on 
January 18 that was published the next day, and clarified 
that the leak was not from the pipeline but from a line that 
was cut from a ship's water exhaust pipe. 
 
¶4. (U) Comment.  This was COTCO's first oil spill in over 
three years.  Despite the efforts of a local NGO, Save the 
Nature, to brew up local controversy, the issue does not 
appear to be gathering momentum in the press.  The focus of 
the mayor of Kribi's criticism appears to be aimed at 
generating compensation to benefit the local economy.  While 
it is possible that this could remain a local sore spot, and 
could become controversial if the international media 
continue to play on it, the spill has not become a national 
issue, and there is no reason to doubt that COTCO has taken 
the appropriate cleanup measures.  End Comment. 
MARQUARDT