VZCZCXRO7652
RR RUEHGI
DE RUEHGI #0064 0711434
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121434Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0865
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0243
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0430
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0414
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 0004
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0253
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1083

UNCLAS BANGUI 000064 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM CT SU
SUBJECT: BOZIZE'S SUPPORT FOR BASHIR: THE CAR PERSPECTIVE 
 
REF: BANGUI 061 
 
¶1. (SBU) CAR president Francois Bozize's public demonstration of 
support for Sudanese president Bashir (reftel) is easy to 
understand in the context of good neighborliness and African 
solidarity, but other factors may be at play.  Bozize fears, 
with some reason, that he may also be under investigation by the 
ICC.  Bozize attended the opening of the ICC's Bangui office and 
was apparently happy to have investigations conducted into the 
responsibility of former president Felix-Ange Patasse for the 
abuses committed by former DRC Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba 
when Bemba's MLC forces came to Patasse's aid in 2002 (Bemba's 
excesses in CAR in 2001 occurred before the court came into 
being and are thus outside the court's jurisdiction). 
 
¶2. (SBU) Bozize has become increasingly troubled by the prospect 
that he may also be investigated, and possibly charged, in 
relation to the excesses of his own forces after he took power 
on March 15, 2003.  In August 2008 he wrote to UNSYG Ban 
requesting suspension of the proceedings against Bemba. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Bozize government's human rights issues are more 
those of error and omission rather than policy and commission. 
The Central African Government (CARG) has not directly targeted 
groups or individuals; there are no known political prisoners 
nor have there been systematic massacres of political or ethnic 
groups.  At the same time, there is no evidence that the CARG 
sees any need to protect human rights.  Thus the military is 
quite willing to burn villages and conduct small massacres, 
perhaps as much in frustration at their inability to locate 
rebel groups as for any other reason.  The result, of course, is 
massive population displacement and a strong conviction on the 
part of the population that the demands of, and thefts by, the 
rebels are less dangerous than the actions of the CARG. 
Similarly, the police and military, and most especially the 
Presidential Guard (GP) commit all manner of crimes; even the 
murder of a police commissioner, with total impunity, (Think 
Tontons Macoutes).  The results are raising popular discontent. 
Our repeated message that this weakens CARG's legitimacy seems 
to fall on deaf ears.  Indeed, the most common reaction is that 
the CARG's hard line is justified by the existence of rebels, 
etc.  A vicious cycle that appeared to have been broken at the 
end of 2007 may be recommencing. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) COMMENT: The ICC brings a new dimension to the whole 
human rights/good governance issue.  If it acts as deterrence, 
so much the better, but based on Bozize's actions and the 
declarations of the African Union, we are not optimistic that 
the ICC is going to provide a silver bullet, at least not in the 
Central African Republic.  Progress on protection of human 
rights is likely to require a hard, bilateral slog. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT CONTINUED: Another possible factor is a 
reported deterioration in Bozize's relationship with Chadian 
president Idriss Deby (Septel follows). 
 
COOK