VZCZCXRO9577
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #0967/01 2801656
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061656Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9305
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE 0218
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000967 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: CM EAGR ECON PGOV PHUM PREF PREL EINV KPAO
KISL, KIRC 
SUBJECT: CAMEROON'S NORTHERN PROVINCES:  EMBASSY TEAM 
REACHES OUT 
 
¶1.  (U)  Summary:  During a September 21-27 trip to the 
Extreme North, North and Adamaoua Provinces, the Ambassador 
launched a Virtual Presence Post (VPP) for the region and did 
extensive public outreach.  The northern provinces are poor 
and largely agricultural, suffering from the effects of a 
declining cotton crop and weak infrastructure.  Development 
has been hampered by limited air connectivity to the region, 
poor roads and no rail service north of Ngaoundere.  Security 
challenges include highway bandits, chieftaincy disputes and 
Chadian refugees who have become violent in recent months. 
End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)  On September 21-27 Ambassador led an Embassy team on 
a tour of northern Cameroon, reportedly the most populous 
part of the country, with the largest percentage of Muslims. 
The week-long trip included a presentation of the Embassy 
team to an audience of fifty contacts in Garoua, American 
folk music performances by Embassy staff in each provincial 
capital, presentations on upcoming U.S. elections, a Ramadan 
Iftar for Muslim women, meetings with business chambers in 
each province to discuss U.S. commercial opportunities, 
visits to Self Help projects, meetings with Peace Corps 
trainees and Amcit wardens, and a wide range of meetings with 
officials, business, civil society and other contacts.  The 
Ambassador also toured the CIFAN (Centre d'Instruction Forces 
Armee National) military training site in Ngaoundere.  CIFAN 
will be used to prepare an 800-person peacekeeping/peace 
enforcement battalion, with training scheduled to begin in 
December. 
 
Economic Challenges 
------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U)  The economic mainstay of the three northern 
provinces is subsistence agriculture, supplemented by some 
commercial production of cotton, sorghum, ground nuts, shea 
nuts and other crops.  Agricultural production has reportedly 
been good this year, although poor soil conditions, small 
parcels of land, and water shortages are chronic problems. 
Officials at Sodocoton, Cameroon's largest (partially 
state-owned) cotton producer painted a bleak picture for the 
cotton sector, which employs over 300,000 people in the three 
northern provinces.  They attributed a 75% drop in cotton 
production since 2005 to low world cotton prices and a 
significant jump in global fertilizer prices; Sodocoton 
officials hoped for Government of Cameroon (GRC) subsidies 
and greater crop diversification (more septel). 
 
¶4.  (U)  There is little industry in the northern provinces. 
Our business outreach meetings drew mostly petty traders such 
as people in the handicrafts sector.  While the north has 
tourism potential, few contacts saw this sector on the rise. 
Governor of the Extreme North Ahamadou Tidjani told the 
Ambassador that there was only limited potential for tourism, 
given infrastructure challenges and the "abandoned" 
conditions of the Waza and Benoue parks.  For example, the 
only access to Rumsiki, one of the region's main tourist 
destinations, is a rutted dirt road requiring a four-wheel 
drive vehicle.  There were no flights to the north for four 
months this year and while Elysian and Air Tumai (the Chadian 
airline) now fly several days a week to Garoua and Maroua, 
flights are expensive and not always reliable.  Direct 
flights used to come from Paris to Garoua (filled mostly with 
American hunters) but these have not resumed over the past 
year. 
 
¶5.  (U)  Contacts complained about the rising cost of living 
in the north.  Chadians seeking safehaven from instability in 
Chad have been buying property in the major cities of 
northern Cameroon, driving up housing costs.  Transport from 
Douala and elsewhere in the country is expensive.  Corruption 
permeates every aspect of life, with authorities demanding 
bribes at frequent check points.  Many children reportedly 
cannot afford school expenses and education levels are low. 
 
Security Issues 
--------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  UNHCR Rep in Garoua Kantemanke told the Ambassador 
that 4,000 Chadian refugees remain in Langui camp outside of 
town.  While he acknowledged that some refugees might be 
genuine cases, he thought the majority were staying in hopes 
of going the U.S. or Canada.  Kantemanke hoped UNHCR would 
 
YAOUNDE 00000967  002 OF 003 
 
 
soon reach agreement with the governments of Cameroon and 
Chad to facilitate the return of most refugees.  He commented 
on the aggressive nature of these refugees, who had destroyed 
vehicles and other property in the camp during June riots 
protesting the availability and quality of food, clothing and 
other items.  The GRC has since provided security at Langui 
but Kantemanke was convinced there were still arms in the 
camp and he was frustrated that the GRC had yet to name a 
camp manager. 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  The north has a persistent problem with "coupeurs 
de route" (highway bandits) who attack vehicles as well as 
villagers in rural areas, reportedly kidnapping children and 
stealing cattle and property.  While the Nigerian border area 
is reportedly calm, local authorities expressed concerns 
about heavily armed bandit incursions from Chad.  There are 
also recurring chieftaincy disputes.  One Catholic priest in 
the region described a pervasive culture of fear, saying that 
"people fear everything - superstitions, the government, 
everything." 
 
Commercial Opportunities 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (U)  The Ambassador and Embassy staff hosted three 
business seminars with about 50 participants each in Garoua, 
Maroua and Ngaoundere.  Participants highlighted the need for 
more capacity building to take advantage of AGOA, especially 
in the handicrafts sector.  They were eager for information 
about EXIM, OPIC and other USG commercial services and 
several expressed interest in upcoming U.S. commercial trade 
shows.  Embassy staff also identified areas for greater 
cooperation with the Peace Corps and local business chambers 
in strengthening commercial ties to the north. 
 
Muslim Outreach 
--------------- 
 
¶9.  (U)  During the trip, the Embassy team hosted an Iftar 
dinner in Garoua specifically targeting prominent Muslim 
women, including mayors, members of parliament, heads of 
religious associations, high-ranking officials and 
journalists.  During the dinner, participants noted the 
challenges facing Muslims in general and women in particular, 
including the role traditions play in impeding women from 
taking part in political life and the problem of 
underscholarization among young women due to agricultural 
duties and early marriage.  The delegation also accepted an 
invitation to an Iftar dinner hosted by Bakary Bouba, the 
influential Lamido of Maroua (a traditional and religious 
Muslim leader), at his palace.  He discussed the political, 
cultural and religious situation within his community and 
briefed the Ambassador on his recently-completed 
International Visitors program on Religious Tolerance and 
Interfaith Dialogue.  The Lamido was extremely complimentary, 
both of the IV program and his experience in the United 
States, and described at length his positive exchanges with 
Christians, Jews, and other Muslims during the visit.  He 
particularly enjoyed his interchanges with ordinary Americans 
during his home visits and said he was struck by the 
welcoming nature, piety, and timeliness of Americans. 
 
VPP Launch 
---------- 
 
¶10.  (U)  The Ambassador announced the creation of VPP 
Septentrion/Northern Cameroon ("Septentrion" is a Cameroonian 
term referring to the three provinces of the north) during 
the initial country team presentation, and the delegation 
took the opportunity to inform contacts and press about its 
launch throughout the trip.  Despite the large population, 
the Septentrion is often difficult to reach physically by 
Embassy staff due to the lack of infrastructure and cost and 
infrequency of flights.  The VPP demonstrates the importance 
the Embassy places on the Septentrion and will serve as a 
conduit for informing the population of Embassy visits, 
activities and opportunities within the region. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU)  The Extreme North and Northern provinces seem 
largely stuck in time, with little new development and 
 
YAOUNDE 00000967  003 OF 003 
 
 
crumbling infrastructure.  Northerners feel cut off from the 
rest of the country and to some degree neglected for 
political reasons (the north was the home of former President 
Amadou Ahidjo and is a bastion for the opposition UNDP 
party).  This in part explains the very warm reception 
Ambassador and Embassy team received everywhere we went.  The 
trip received extensive, positive media coverage.  Our Muslim 
contacts and business people at our commercial outreach 
events were particularly eager for more interaction with the 
Embassy.  We plan to continue our more active engagement 
through the newly-created VPP and with regular trips to the 
region. 
FOX