VZCZCXRO0915
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHYD #0286/01 0851532
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 261532Z MAR 09
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9796
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0015
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 YAOUNDE 000286 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C, DEPT PASS TO USDOC FOR ITA - BURRESS 
DEPT PASS TO USAID FOR DCH/DG - BILLERA/LEMARGIE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO CM VT PGOV PREL KIRF PHUM
SUBJECT: CAMEROON GIVES POPE ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME, AMID 
SOME GRUMBLING 
 
REF: A. A) YAOUNDE 224 
     ¶B. B) VATICAN 038 
 
YAOUNDE 00000286  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (U)  SUMMARY:  The Pope's March 17-20 day visit to 
Cameroon went smoothly, drawing large, enthusiastic crowds. 
The Pope drew criticism for his pre-arrival comments to the 
international press about condom usage.  Government efforts 
to clean up the city (including the destruction of many 
illegal buildings) raised tensions in Yaounde prior to the 
visit, but they did not come to a head during the Pope's 
stay.  State-run and independent media fully covered the 
event, with the focus on the positive aspects of the trip as 
well as some coverage of the Pope,s anti-corruption message. 
End summary. 
 
Pre-Arrival Tensions 
-------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) The Government of Cameroon (GRC) went all out to 
prepare for the Pope's visit.  This included cleaning up all 
major streets that he would travel on, as well as doing away 
with decrepit and flimsy kiosks around the Central Market. 
Although the Pope was not planning to travel near this 
market, the 
Government Delegate (equivalent of mayor) used the city-wide 
clean-up to advance his personal goal of getting rid of 
structures built by squatters - often market booths or 
make-shift houses.  This destruction of property caused 
tension levels in the city to rise, just days before the 
Pope's visit.  People of all economic levels were dismayed by 
the tearing down of these structures, and many commented that 
"the Pope would not have wanted people to lose their 
livelihoods due to his visit".  On the day of the Pope's 
public mass, street vendors and police clashed after police 
told vendors that they were required to close their shops 
located three kilometers from the mass for security reasons. 
In the confrontation, a vendor was shot in the leg.  This 
confrontation was not publicized and most mass attendees were 
unaware of the situation.  In addition, some Yaounde 
residents resented the large amounts of money spent to 
beautify Yaounde prior to the Pope's arrival. 
 
¶3. (U)  Additional problems occurred during general 
registration for the large Papal Mass held March 
19 in the national football stadium.  Citizens could register 
at their local Catholic church or Mosque, but the event 
quickly became overregistered, and parish members were told a 
week before the mass that they should plan on arriving early 
in order to enter the stadium.  Ticket holders who were not 
able to enter the stadium could listen to the event via 
loudspeakers placed outside.  Several Embassy employees 
registered for the mass but did not receive tickets because 
their parishes had already used up their allotments. 
 
Cameroon Pulls it Off 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (U) Although preparations were finished at the absolute 
last minute (flags were still being hung as the Pope 
arrived), the GRC managed to have everything in place for the 
Pontiff's arrival.  Most ambassadors and ministers, 
regardless of their religious beliefs, were on hand to 
receive the Pope at the airport and to participate in Vespers 
the next day.  Interestingly, Muslim members of government 
chose to wear business suits to both events, rather than 
their traditional robes.  Thousands of citizens waited hours 
in the streets to catch a glimpse of the Pope's motorcade, 
most dressed in special fabric made for the Pope's visit. 
Drummers, dance groups and choral groups celebrated as they 
waited for his arrival. 
 
¶5. (U) President Biya received the Pope on the morning of 
March 18 with a private audience followed by a meeting with 
the President's immediate family.  The President's children 
and stepchildren received rare media coverage during the 
visit.  Domestic and international press covered the First 
Lady's clothing 
and unusual hair style during the Pope's visit, which 
featured large hats bearing the Pope's cross.  A link to 
photo coverage can be found at: 
 
www.boston.com/news/local/articles of faith/ 
2009/03/quel chapeau ca.html 
 
¶6. (U) The Pope met briefly with leaders from other 
religions.  According to media sources, the meeting was less 
 
YAOUNDE 00000286  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
of a dialogue and more a chance for each group to read 
prepared remarks.  The fifteen minute meeting was featured by 
local media sources, but not given a lot of coverage. 
 
One last present.... 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (U) The pope received one last (unexpected) present before 
leaving Cameroon.  A group of Baka Pygmies (hunter-gatherers 
from the rainforest) came to the Nunciature on Friday, asking 
to meet with the Pope before he departed.  They quickly built 
a traditional hut, then presented him with a basket, a cloth 
mat, and a turtle - a sign of respect in their culture. 
 
Corruption, not Condoms 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. (U) Media reaction to the Pope's visit differed between 
international and domestic coverage.  International press 
centered on the Pope's comments, given during his flight to 
Yaounde, that condom distribution is not the solution to 
preventing HIV/AIDS, that in fact condom use actually worsens 
the problem. Independent domestic press focused on the Pope's 
comments on the lack of good governance and corruption in 
Africa, two of Cameroon's greatest problems.  The Pope also 
spoke out against abuses of power.  State-run press 
downplayed the condom controversy, giving an all-positive 
focus to his trip. 
 
Media Coverage - "Hilarious Welcome" 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. (SBU) This visit dominated Cameroonian media before, 
during and after the event.  With the exception of the Pope's 
arrival, state-run Cameroonian radio and television (CRTV) 
broadcast all of the Pope's public appearances live and 
rebroadcasts of his meetings ran after hours.  We don't known 
why the arrival was not shown live, but rumors abound that it 
was yet another sabotage attempt by some within CRTV to 
undermine President Biya's confidence in the embattled 
General Manager of the organization.  Coverage by 
CRTV was universally positive, with headlines such as 
"Cameroon has the Honor", "In Triumph", "Hilarious Welcome" 
(a bad translation from French attempting to convey the 
joyous welcome the Pope received). 
 
¶10. (U) Independent media coverage of governmental actions 
prior to the Pope's visit was not as positive.  Headlines 
such as "Many Lives Broken as Capital is Smashed to Make Way 
for Pope" were common.  One paper claims that thousands were 
left homeless or without a livelihood after their homes and 
market booths were destroyed.  A cartoon in the anglophone 
paper, The Post, showed President Biya and a clergyman 
carrying the Pope on a litter through the streets, on the 
backs of Cameroonians.  One of the Cameroonians in the 
cartoon comments, "Each time the Pope visits us, our misery 
seems to increase." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Overall, the Pope's visit went smoothly and events 
were well organized.  While Cameroonians were genuinely 
thrilled to have the Pope here, commentators said there 
appeared to be more tension surrounding this visit than 
during prior papal visits, perhaps due to greater poverty 
levels.  The city government's destruction of illegal 
properties has been ongoing for several years and has met 
with mixed reactions.  What surprised many in Yaounde was the 
timing and extensive scale of destruction over the week prior 
to the Pope,s arrival. 
 
¶12.  (SBU)  Many Cameroonians were disappointed that the Pope 
did not directly address domestic political issues such as 
Cameroon's corruption and backsliding on democracy.  The 
Pope's visit came soon after the one year anniversary of the 
February 2008 riots, which were sparked by commodity price 
increases and the President's decision to amend the 
constitution to do away with term limits. The trip also came 
just weeks after Amnesty International accused the GRC of 
extrajudicial execution, arbitrary arrest, torture and 
unlawful detention.  The President's recent decision to pack 
the new electoral commission with party faithful was also 
widely unpopular.  The Pope also addressed the Cameroonian 
people in French and 
English, which commentators pointed out is something 
 
YAOUNDE 00000286  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
President Biya has never done. Cardinal Christian Tumi, often 
outspoken in his anti-government views, openly criticized 
Biya during and after the papal visit, calling on the 
President (who has been in power for 26 years) to announce he 
will not seek reelection in 2011, while characterizing 
Cameroon as "more dictatorship than democracy".  Against this 
backdrop, and given the excitement about the Papal visit, it 
is not surprising that the Pope appeared to get a warmer 
public reception than the President. 
 
GARVEY