VZCZCXRO3179
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #1071 2411335
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 291335Z AUG 07
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8100
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 0047
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0102
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEAORC/US CUSTOMS AND BORDER PRO WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS YAOUNDE 001071 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C, OES, INL 
ACCRA FOR GEOFFREY HUNT 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS 
EUCOM FOR J5-A AFRICA DIVISION AND POLAD YATES 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV KCOR SNAR PHUM PARM EAID PGOV CM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS TELL FOREST 
MINISTER: "THE PROBLEM IS NOT MONEY, BUT WILL" 
 
 
Marked paragraphs are sensitive but unclassified.  Not for 
distribution outside the USG. 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  Summary.  Cameroon's Forestry Minister (MINFOF) 
was caught off-guard when EU representatives responded to his 
August 22 appeal for donor assistance by suggesting that the 
Government of Cameroon's problem is "not money, but will." 
The ambassadors encouraged Ngolle to continue MINFOF's fight 
against corruption as a Government of Cameroon (GRC) 
initiative, which they asserted should be properly funded by 
the GRC itself.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Cameroon's Minister of Forestry, Elvis Ngolle 
Ngolle, asked embassy representatives from the U.S., the 
Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and Canada to 
attend an August 22 meeting to brief them on MINFOF 
activities and to appeal for participation, including 
funding, from international donors in an initiative to expand 
MINFOF efforts to fight corruption.  Ngolle cited losses to 
the state of 50 billion CFA (approximately $100 million) in 
illegal logging activities, and that he wanted to launch an 
independent study, with the support of Prime Minister Inoni, 
to be carried out by a six-member commission in partnership 
between MINFOF and donor countries. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  Ngolle was caught flat-footed, however, by the 
response from EU representatives, who were upset by MINFOF's 
request, as they saw it, for international partners to become 
involved in interministerial conflicts, particularly with the 
Ministry of Economy and Finances (MINEFI), which should be 
funding the project.  The German ambassador summed up 
succinctly the prevailing view of donor countries at the 
table: "The problem is not money, but will."  The diplomats 
encouraged Ngolle to continue MINFOF's fight against 
corruption in coordination with MINEFI and noted that further 
international assistance was not a precondition to this 
effort moving forward. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  Media reports skirted the response from the donor 
community.  The state-run Cameroon Tribune and the Herald 
both reported that the EU would support the committee and 
stated that the donor countries had pledged to support forest 
governance efforts.  In response to Poloff's follow-up 
request for clarification from MINFOF's Director of Wildlife, 
Mahamat Amine, who also attended the meeting, Amine said that 
the EU representatives said they were formulating a response 
and would respond within the next few days. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Comment:  This is just one example of the GRC 
requesting funding for activities it can and should be 
carrying out on its own.  Ngolle is generally considered one 
of the brighter stars in the government, as his efforts to 
combat corruption in this sector attest.  The response from 
the EU representatives reflected a sense among many donors 
that the GRC remains stuck in a fundraising mentality despite 
recent windfalls to the treasury from debt relief and higher 
than anticipated oil revenues.  End Comment. 
NELSON