VZCZCXRO2650
PP RUEHMA RUEHROV
DE RUEHGI #0219/01 2901142
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 171142Z OCT 09
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1063
INFO RHMFISS/AFRICOM
RUEHBZ/AMEMBASSY BRAZZAVILLE 0220
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0325
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0336
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0235
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0176
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0524
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0158
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0166
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1331
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0497

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGUI 000219 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C 
USUN FOR DMUERS 
PARIS FOR RKANEDA 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
NAIROBI  FOR AKARAS 
AFRICOM FOR JKUGEL 
INR FOR CNEARY 
DRL FOR SCRAMPTON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PINR CT
SUBJECT: UNDP AND REBELS FRUSTRATED WITH CARG FOOT-DRAGGING ON DDR 
 
REF: A: 09 BANGUI 118 
 
BANGUI 00000219  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Disarmament, Demobilization, and 
Reintegration (DDR) campaign in the Central African Republic 
(CAR), launched in August 2009 with much fanfare, has slowed 
considerably in pace causing frustration in increasingly 
impatient rebels. The government's (CARG) lack of will, and 
specifically actions of its principal interlocutor with rebels 
and the international community, Minister of Communication 
Cyriac Gonda, is irritating both the UN and the relevant rebels 
groups and threatens the stability of the peace process just six 
months before the planned elections of March 2010. In this 
context, POLOFF, the acting DATT, and the US Air Force C-12 crew 
from Accra, Ghana visited Paoua in northwestern CAR on October 
15, 2009 to meet with local government officials, international 
peacekeepers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). By 
happenstance, the above mentioned also met the spokesman and 
military commander of the western sector of the rebel Army for 
the Restoration of Democracy (APRD), Colonel Henri Tchabo aka 
Colonel Wafio. The Colonel confirmed the reestablishment of APRD 
road blocks around their area of operation, expressed his 
displeasure with the slow pace of the DDR's roll out, but 
affirmed his overall commitment to peace with the government. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
UNDP FRUSTRATED, SHIFTING GEARS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On September 30th, 2009, the Charge and POLOFF met with 
the Senior DDR Advisor working for the Bureau of Crisis 
Prevention and Recovery at the UN Development Program (UNDP) who 
is following the DDR process in the CAR. She was irritated with 
the CARG continued foot dragging in the process despite the 
launch of the sensitization campaign in August. 
 
-- A particular sticking point is the 8 billion CFA 
(approximately 17 million USD) pledged by the Economic and 
Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) for the process 
which the CARG claims it alone controls and which is not 
necessarily earmarked for the DDR process. 
 
-- In an effort to get the government to reengage the funds, the 
UNDP is now saying that they will fund the first two D - 
Disarmament and Demobilization - but that Reintegration must be 
handled by the CARG. 
 
--The UNDP also informed Post of disturbing rumors of graft 
within the CARG - according to her ``well placed sources'', only 
50 million CFA (110,000 USD) of 250 million CFA (556,000 USD) 
set aside by President Bozize for the sensitization campaign at 
the start of the DDR process was spent for its actual purpose. 
It was the UNDP's firm conviction that Minister Gonda absconded 
with the rest of the funds. 
 
The UNDP is fully aware of the lack of political will at the 
highest levels of the government and are hoping that by forcing 
them to take responsibility for Reintegration; they will 
eliminate any potential blame that the CARG may seek to place 
upon the international community if the process fails. 
 
----------------------------------- 
WORRYING DEVELOPMENTS ON THE GROUND 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) During the last week of September and the first week of 
October, all of the major rebel signatories to the DDR process 
have begun to express dissatisfaction with the progression of 
the program: 
 
 
BANGUI 00000219  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
-- The Democratic Front of the Central African People (FDPC), 
the Libyan-backed group headed by Abdoulaye Miskine, has 
reinstated barriers in their zone between Kabo and Sido on the 
Chadian boarder. The groups did so in protest of the arrest of 
two officers and frustration on the ground with the lack of 
promised funds from the DDR process. It is also probable that 
Miskine is annoyed that he has yet to be named to the diplomatic 
post he was promised for signing onto the process. 
 
-- The Union of Democratic Forces for Unity (UFDR) based in the 
northeast stated publically what Post has speculated for some 
time - They will be unable to demobilize as long as their Kara 
foes in the Vakaga remain armed. Minister Gonda is due in Birao 
to start the sensitization campaign in mid-October. 
 
-- The APRD published a press release this week announcing the 
resetting of their road blocks in all the zones under their 
control because the GARG had not lived up to their promises. 
They stated that due to limited funding from the government, `' 
we cannot pay for the cost of our member's food or offer them 
coffee [a Central African term for kick backs]''. 
 
------------------------------- 
ACCIDENTAL MEETING WITH A REBEL 
------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) In an exceptionally Central African moment, POLOFF, the 
DATT and the three crew members of the C-12 were greeted at the 
Paoua airstrip by the three forces of order in the prefecture: 
the head of the Central African Army's (FACA) detachment, the 
head of the Congolese peacekeepers from the regional 
peacekeeping force (MICOPAX) and the aforementioned Colonel 
Wafio. The DATT was struck by the amicable body language between 
the Congolese and Wafio and their evident coolness towards the 
FACA (NOTE: Indications of the FACA's lack of professionalism 
were striking - later in the afternoon, after ``not being able 
to meet earlier'', the FACA commander showed up considerably 
inebriated and was unable to recall how many soldiers he had 
under his command. END NOTE). 
 
¶5. (SBU) After a meeting with the commander of the MICOPAX unit 
based in Paoua, Colonel Wafio unexpectedly walked into the 
Congolese canteen where we were seated. Accompanied by Arnaud 
Guettel, the APRD's newly minted representative on the 
Independent Electoral Commission, Wafio cut surprisingly serene 
persona for a rebel commander and was dressed in a blue jean 
outfit. Wafio, known to be smart and well respected due to his 
humble roots, also has a darker side: He is thought to have 
ordered a group whipping of this predecessor as APRD spokesman 
in April 2009 for killing a prominent Paoua cattle trader. The 
former commander's whereabouts are currently unknown. 
 
¶6. (SBU) POLOFF commenced the discussion by reaffirming the long 
standing position of Post - that the rebels must join the 
legitimate opposition and put down their weapons as peace is in 
the interest of all Central Africans and the international 
community. POLOFF also stressed that the barriers should be 
taken down and that a negotiated solution with the government 
was needed. A discussion ensued where Wafio confirmed that the 
end goal of the APRD was peace and that government indolence was 
to blame. He stated that if the government took the DDR 
seriously there would be no problems. Importantly, when asked 
about the plans of the APRD for the elections, Wafio returned to 
his insistence that the DDR process must actually start. 
According to the rebel, if the Disarmament and Demobilization 
processes were on course then APRD would be fine with elections 
and a more long term Reinsertion campaign. He also said that the 
presence of MICOPAX military observers for the DDR process would 
be a good sign that the process was moving along. This last 
 
BANGUI 00000219  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
statement suggests Wafio is following events in Bangui closely - 
The UNDP was just in Libreville to discuss with MICOPAX's 
command about the set up of observers. 
 
¶7. (SBU) While Wafio remained calm throughout; his deputy became 
quite animated at our insistence that the APRD pull down its 
road blocks and disarm. According to Guettel, the region is 
facing a double menace of armed cattle herders, who take many 
forms, and the Chadian Army. As noted in previous reporting (Ref 
A), the north of the CAR is virtually ungoverned by Bangui and 
the large pastoral expanses are often the source of tension 
between the sedentary Central African farmers and pastoralist 
coming from the north. According to a UN source, the APRD and 
other local militias are in constant conflict with 
Fulani/Peuhl/Mbororo herders and cattle raisers from Chad. 
Apparently some of the larger herds are owned by members of the 
Chadian security apparatus and it is not uncommon that soldiers 
from the Chadian Army are sent to settle disagreements across 
the border. So while Post doubts that it is the active policy of 
the Chadian government to violate the territory of the CAR, it 
is clear that individuals with economic interest and military 
ties are willing to use elements from the Chadian army to settle 
their disputes.  More fundamentally, Guettel's agitation plainly 
displays a deep flaw in the DDR process - without a capacity by 
the FACA or the CARG to project order over its territory, local 
inhabitants will be invariably forced to take arms to protect 
their interests. 
 
¶8. (SBU) COMMENT: The latest reestablishment of barriers and 
increased rhetoric by the different rebel groups is likely a 
negotiation tactic and should not lead to violence in the short 
term. Each group knows they stand to gain more from the DDR than 
from renewed hostility. But it is hard to imagine that the APRD 
and other armed actors in the north do not understand that 
disarming will leave them exposed to others not a part of the 
DDR process. Thus, when taken in concert with the statement that 
they really are only pushing for the short term payout from the 
Disarmament and Demobilization and that the Reintegration can 
``come later'', it remains difficult to be optimistic about the 
long term prospects of the DDR process. END COMMENT. 
COOK