VZCZCXRO8864
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHOU #0272/01 1011457
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 101457Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY OUAGADOUGOU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3533
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0627
RHMFISS/CDR USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 OUAGADOUGOU 000272 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECLASSIFY ON 04/10/2028 
TAGS: PREL PGOV EAID KDEM UV IV
SUBJECT: French DCM on Cote d'Ivoire Peace Process 
 
REF: (A) ABIDJAN 00194 
 
     (B) 07 OUAGADOUGOU 0892 
     (C) OUAGADOUGOU 0037 
 
Classified by Amb. J Jackson for reason 1.4 (b) (d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: The French DCM told us April 8 that progress 
at the latest round of Cote d'Ivoire peace talks held March 
21 in Ouagadougou was modest, with good results in issuing 
almost 500,000 birth certificates to identify Ivorian 
citizens, but little success in disarming northern Cote 
d'Ivoire and reestablishing government authority.  President 
Compaore invited several new observers to this round of 
talks, and donors agreed to pay for some costs related to 
disarming former rebels and the Presidential election, which 
is now likely to be held at the end of 2008 at the earliest. 
End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) DCM called on French Embassy DCM Xavier Brun on 
April 8 to hear French views on the March 21 meeting of the 
Committee to Evaluate and Accompany (CEA) to the Ouagadougou 
Political Accord (OPA).  France was represented at the 
meeting by the head of its Africa Bureau, its Ambassador 
based in Abidjan, and Brun (notetaker).  Wanda Nesbitt, U.S. 
Ambassador to Cote d'Ivoire, visited Ouagadougou to cover 
the CEA meeting (ref A).  Burkina Faso President Blaise 
Compaore, the OPA Facilitator, invited new countries and 
international organizations to attend this latest CEA round: 
 
 
-- Norway (which Brun said had contributed money to fund the 
Abidjan office of Compaore's special representative for the 
OPA, Boureima Badini); 
-- Belgium (which Compaore was hopeful would contribute 
money to the OPA process); 
-- Brazil (which plans to open an Embassy in Ouagadougou in 
the wake of President Lula's visit here last fall (ref B)); 
and the 
-- Organization of the Islamic Conference (whose 11th 
session Compaore attended in Dakar in early March, and whose 
representative at the CEA called for a free and fair 
Presidential election in Cote d'Ivoire). 
 
Brun noted that the Catholic Church-affiliated NGO, 
"Community of Sant'Egidio" had been at the January 14 CEA 
meeting (ref C), but was absent this time. 
 
Progress in OPA Slows Down ... 
------------------------------ 
 
¶3. (C) Brun said that, while there had been no open discord 
among participants, this CEA round had been less productive 
than the previous.  Because the OPA process had started to 
"stagnate," the French assessment was that the earliest date 
when Presidential elections could be held had slipped to the 
end of 2008.  This reflected, Brun felt, the relative 
paucity of progress on the ground in Cote d'Ivoire, with: 
 
-- insufficient reimplantation of Cote d'Ivoire Government 
(GOCI) Customs and other officials into the north, where 
former "Forces Nouvelles" rebels continue to levy "taxes"; 
-- limited progress on disarmament of the ex-rebels, who are 
hesitating to turn in their weapons; and, 
-- no response from the GOCI so far to Compaore's proposal 
providing quotas and ranks for integrating ex-rebels into 
the armed forces. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Another major stumbling block, and a focus of 
discussions at this CEA round, was how to pay for the peace 
process and elections, Brun said.  Ivorian Prime Minister 
Guillaume Soro "pleaded" with donors for funding to cover 
the cost of the: 
 
-- contract with SAGEM (the French technical operator chosen 
to produce ID and voter registration cards); 
-- Presidential elections; and the 
-- GOCI's debt arrears. 
 
Soro also reiterated his earlier call for Ivorian political 
parties and civil society to adhere to a "code of good 
behavior" during the Presidential campaign and election, 
Brun added. 
 
But Modest Progress Still Achieved 
-------------------------------------- 
¶5. (C) Brun emphasized, however, that one OPA success story 
had been the issuance of almost 500,000 birth certificates 
through the work of the "audiences foraines" (mobile 
tribunals for identification).  Brun explained that the 
representative of opposition leader Alassane Ouattara's 
 
OUAGADOUGO 00000272  002 OF 002 
 
 
Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD) had lobbied at the 
CEA for the extension, beyond three months, of the period 
during which each of over 100 "audience foraines" would 
operate.  The RDD wanted this extension in hopes of 
identifying more voters in the north, Brun explained, but 
there was no consensus at the CEA in favor of an extension, 
and this proposal was dropped. 
 
¶6. (C) Other modest signs of progress at the meeting, Brun 
added, were: 
 
-- a reaffirmation by all signatories of the importance of 
holding Presidential elections as soon as possible; 
-- agreement by the donors to help cover the cost of the 
elections (but not the cost of the SAGEM contract or debt 
arrears); 
-- willingness by donors to finance part of the costs of 
ex-rebel demobilization, disarmament and reinsertion (DDR) 
(but not the rebels' salary stipends, which have only been 
partially paid); and, 
-- a GOCI decree outlining the terms of cooperation between 
SAGEM and the National Institute of Statistics in drawing up 
voter lists. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Brun closed by expressing appreciation for the 
"efficient" work of the UN Special Representative for Cote 
d'Ivoire, Y.J. Choi, whom he felt did a fine job of 
consulting with donors over lunch and then explaining well 
to the signatories what the donors would be willing to pay 
for. 
 
 
 
JACKSON