VZCZCXRO8206
RR RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #1271/01 2971513
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 241513Z OCT 07
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8253
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE 0023
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1939
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0383
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 001271 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA ACTION OFFICERS 
EUCOM FOR J5-1 AND POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/23/2017 
TAGS: PGOV PREL SENV KCRO KPKO CM FR
SUBJECT: SARKOZY-BIYA SUMMIT: A FRENCH VIEW FROM CAMEROON 
 
REF: YAOUNDE 1159 
 
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary.  Less than one week after returning from 
UNGA and a protracted stay in Geneva, President Paul Biya 
left October 22 for Paris, where he will attend UNESCO's 
general conference and meet on October 26 with French 
President Sarkozy for the first bilateral meeting between the 
two presidents.  Cameroon's private press has headlined 
speculation that Biya will seek Sarkozy's permission to 
extend his term in office beyond the currently 
constitutionally mandated 2011.  French Charge d'Affaires 
Philippe Truquet expects Sarkozy will highlight the need for 
Biya to jump-start the local economy and to play a more 
active regional peacekeeping role.  Truquet personally 
questioned whether France's large aid program in Cameroon 
(its largest in the world) was in line with French strategic 
interests, suggesting that there may be a realignment, 
especially if Biya does not improve his economy in the next 
three years.  End summary. 
 
France's Message for Biya 
------------------------ 
 
¶2.  (C)  Truquet told Pol/Chief on October 23 that President 
Sarkozy's meeting with Biya is a first "get to know you" 
session; Truquet stressed it was not a state visit and that 
Biya's main purpose in Paris was to attend the UNESCO 
meeting.  Sarkozy will likely stress the need for Cameroon to 
spur investment and economic growth, he thought, especially 
since HIPC completion and the recent parliamentary elections 
(with the presidential election not due until 2011) present a 
window of opportunity to boost economic development. 
 
¶3.  (C)  According to Truquet, Sarkozy's second message will 
be that Cameroon needs to increase its role in regional peace 
building and African peacekeeping.  The peaceful conclusion 
of the Bakassi dispute with Nigeria should also present a 
window of opportunity for Cameroon's security forces to play 
a more active international role, Truquet said.  When asked 
whether Sarkozy would raise the need for more political 
openness and democracy, Truquet responded that democracy in 
Africa was a long process and that Cameroon was making slow 
steps in the right direction.  Especially since the next 
election is four years away, Truquet did not expect Sarkozy 
to focus on Cameroon's internal politics in this week's 
meeting.  However, he opined that the new French President is 
unpredictable and has been known to take a tough stance with 
other heads of state. 
 
Biya's Goals with Sarkozy 
------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (C)  Truquet thought Biya's main message to Sarkozy will 
be "don't abandon us," encouraging France to retain its level 
of civilian and military support.  Truquet said that when he 
saw Biya off at the airport the Cameroonian President 
proclaimed he would "return with good news."  Truquet had no 
idea what that "good news" might be. 
 
A Possible Rethink 
------------------- 
 
¶5.  (C)  Truquet noted that Cameroon is France's largest aid 
recipient.  This is "by accident, not strategic design", 
since 100 million euros of France's total 150 million euro 
aid program here comes from HIPC debt relief funds.  Most of 
France's aid supports infrastructure and, to a lesser extent, 
education programs.  He noted that the Sarkozy administration 
is reviewing its foreign policy priorities, including its 
footprint in Cameroon.  Truquet said that personally he 
thought his government's large assistance and staffing in 
Cameroon (including an Embassy, three Consulates and five 
cultural centers) was out of proportion with its relatively 
minor interests here.  If Cameroon does not improve its 
economic performance before the next national election, 
Truquet thought it would be difficult for France to maintain 
this large aid relationship and presence.  He ventured that, 
in any case, if Biya cannot deliver a tangible improvement in 
people's lives in the next three years, he will be "finished" 
internally. 
 
Comment 
 
YAOUNDE 00001271  002 OF 002 
 
 
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¶6.  (C)  Truquet, who has been in Cameroon for two years, 
highlighted serious concerns about pervasive corruption and 
growing frustration with the cost of living and poor social 
services.  He agreed that France and the United States have 
many similar goals in Cameroon.  We may be able to build 
jointly on the Sarkozy meeting to press Biya to move more 
quickly on economic reform and to be a more active global 
player.  Local media expects Biya's visit will also generate 
some attention in France on the handling of the investigation 
into the January murder of a French national NGO worker, the 
subject of a recent French TV investigative report that was 
critical of both governments.  (Biya reportedly plans to meet 
the woman's family in France to extend condolences, which may 
deflect criticism.)  We anticipate Biya and Sarkozy may also 
chart next steps in the establishment of EIFORCES, a 
Cameroonian-based, French-supported training center for 
African peacekeeping forces (reftel). 
GARVEY