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RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 0968

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGUI 000236 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/C FOR SSARDAR, MASHRAF, SLOPEZ, KWYCOFF; PARIS FOR RKANEDA; 
LONDON FOR PLORD; YAOUNDE FOR POL/ECON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR ECON EAID CT
SUBJECT: CAR NATIONAL DIALOGUE - OPENING DAY OBSERVATIONS, ANALYSIS 
 
REF: BANGUI 234 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Central African Republic's 'Inclusive 
Political Dialogue' began under the gavel of President Francois 
Bozize and in the presence of Gabonese President Bongo, UN 
Special Representative Francois Fall, and former Burundian 
President and chosen Dialogue Mediator Pierre Buyoya.  The 
proceedings were covered live on television and radio. All of 
the armed rebel groups pledged to renounce the use of force. 
The high points of the day were a long rambling and ultimately 
ambiguous speech by former President Ange-Felix Patasse and a 
pair of speeches by President Bozize; conciliatory in French and 
more aggressive in Sango.  Interestingly, none of the civil 
society or political opposition leaders was allowed to speak. 
It is still very early in the process, but if this really 
represents the end of armed conflict in the CAR, then it is a 
tremendous step forward.  END SUMMARY 
 
SPEECHES 
 
¶2. (SBU) Despite the selection of former Burundian President 
Pierre Buyoya as mediator of the Dialogue, President Bozize, not 
Buyoya, held the gavel on opening day and Buyoya was reduced to 
the role of only one of many speakers. 
 
- United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's special 
representative, Ambassador Francois Fall was the first to speak, 
but only after being physically prevented by CAR Presidential 
Protocol from crossing the stage and being obliged to descent to 
the floor before passing in front of President Bozize to remount 
to the speaker's podium on the other side.  Fall read an 
encouraging opening message from UNSYG Moon and returned to his 
seat. 
 
- Next to speak were the various armed groups, the UFDR, the 
MLCJ, and the APRD, each of whom explicitly addressed President 
Bozize as 'head of state.'  This may, however, be more a matter 
of local protocol than a formal acknowledgement of Bozize's 
political legitimacy.  They each went on to explicitly reject 
violence, several using the same expression, 'bury the hatchet 
of war.' 
 
- Next to speak was former head of state Ange-Felix Patasse who 
spoke in his characteristic, slow, emphatic style. He delivered 
an hour-long, wide ranging speech which praised his `dear 
brother' Bozize, gave thanks to the `God of Exiles,' praised the 
`great hero of the Libyan Revolution,' cited U.S. 
President-elect Obama as an inspiration for all Africans, 
declared to applause that the Dialogue was not a `petit 
bourgeois' exercise, and, to even more applause, that it was not 
just about positions in the government. He went on to swear, in 
front of the international community and the Central African 
People, that he was back and at their service. 
 
¶3. (SBU) President Bozize followed with remarks in both French 
and Sango. His comments in French were anodyne and conciliatory, 
stressing that the elections of 2005 existed, the CAR state 
existed, the constitution existed, the national assembly 
existed, the presidential majority existed and that none of 
these institutions could be called into question. He then spoke 
extensively in Sango, taking a very different tone in which he 
expressed doubts about the results the inclusive political 
dialogue could achieve. He reminded the audience of the various 
similar political dialogues and fora held in this country 
starting with the national seminar organized in 1980 after the 
collapse of Emperor Bokassa. After 28 years of dialogue, where 
are we? President Bozize asked. President Bozize's speech 
focused on the need for this inclusive political dialogue to be 
conducted within established institutions. Those familiar with 
recent Central African political developments noted that 
President Bozize resisted for a long time the idea of an 
inclusive political dialogue before being finally forced to 
 
BANGUI 00000236  002 OF 003 
 
 
accept it under the combined pressure of the international 
community and the rebel groups. President Bozize's suspicions 
were evident in the tone and content of his remarks in Sango, 
which were far from the conciliatory words of the French 
version. 
 
- Finally, President Bongo spoke, taking an extremely familiar, 
avuncular style and stressing that the Central Africans had to 
work things out for themselves. 
 
OBSERVATIONS: 
 
¶4. (SBU) Among the numerous speeches given at the opening 
ceremony of the Inclusive Political Dialogue, three were 
particularly awaited.  They were Patasse's, Demafouth's and 
Bozize's, given their past conflict and current tense 
relationship.  President Bozize has long opposed Patasse's and 
Demafouth's participation in the inclusive political dialogue, 
relenting only recently.  No one else, not civil society, the 
political opposition (UFVN), or the presidential majority, was 
allowed to speak; the day was clearly all about the armed 
groups, Patasse, Bozize, and, by implication, former president 
Kolingba. 
 
¶5. (SBU) After asking for forgiveness from the populations 
affected by the military operations of APRD, Jean Jacques 
Demafouth declared that the current inclusive political dialogue 
was necessary to end the suffering of the population 
('innocents') before suggesting that this forum produce two 
major decisions.  First of all, he demanded that a serious audit 
take place of the country's economic management, particularly 
the management of the parastatal companies and the forestry and 
mining sectors.  Secondly, the inclusive political dialogue's 
resolutions should include the adoption of a common management 
program for the country's development.  NOTE: This approach is 
directly connected to the UFVN's declaration issued the day 
before the opening ceremony. UFVN members believe also that the 
inclusive political dialogue should result in clear objectives 
with precise strategy to deal with numerous political, 
economical and social problems the country is facing. END NOTE 
 
¶6. (SBU) Contrary to what many observers expected, Patasse's 
speech was consensual.  However, he lamented not having had a 
separate preliminary meeting between Bozize, former President 
Andre Kolingba (who stayed in Paris due to ill health), and 
himself.  Patasse felt that this tripartite meeting was 
necessary to determine the causes of the military crisis, and 
thus plan for their resolution. During his speech Patasse 
recognized that each of them as president or former president 
has a degree of responsibility for the current crisis. 
Addressing President Bozize, Patasse said that he was sincere 
and requested that Bozize recognize his own errors before the 
nation.  He concluded that the Inclusive Political Dialogue 
should not be a trial or an occasion for dividing pieces of the 
pie. 
 
¶7. (SBU) It seems clear that much is happening behind the scenes. 
 
-- Bozize and Bongo, at least, kept the group waiting for two 
hours between the time of Bongo's arrival at the airport and 
their arrival on the stage.  The assumption is that they held a 
private meeting. 
 
-- At least one armed group and Patasse both quoted Ecclesiastes 
- 'a time for war, a time for peace,' leading to questions of 
coordination between the parties before the Dialogue. 
 
-- Rumors abound that Bongo warned Demafouth and Patasse to 
behave.  There was also lots of discussion of alleged suitcases 
of money provided by the Gabonese. The amount of the Gabonese 
government's public contribution to the Dialogue elicited gasps 
 
BANGUI 00000236  003 OF 003 
 
 
from the crowd when mentioned. 
 
-- There were rumors today that the political opposition (UFVN) 
were boycotting the session as they had not been allowed to 
speak.  (Although they deny it, the UFVN has made no secret of 
their desire to use the Dialogue as a vehicle to remove 
President Bozize before 2010.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) It is very early in the process to reach any 
conclusions; still, if the Dialogue can really end the armed 
rebellion on the opening day, it could represent real progress. 
COOK ##