VZCZCXRO6605
PP RUEHGI
DE RUEHGI #0011 0250843
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 250843Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY BANGUI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1129
INFO RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0561
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1428

UNCLAS BANGUI 000011 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AID EAID ECON PREL CT
SUBJECT: CAR: MINISTER REQUESTS MORE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE, RETURN 
OF PEACE CORPS 
 
REF: A. BANGUI 0009 
     ¶B. 09 BANGUI 0235 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ambassador and DCM met with Minister of 
Economy, Planning, and International Cooperation Sylvain Maliko 
and his deputy on January 22 to discuss U.S. development 
assistance to the Central African Republic (CAR).  The meeting 
was at Maliko's request.  Maliko praised the high level of U.S. 
humanitarian assistance to the CAR, but lamented the absence of 
USAID and stressed the tremendously beneficial role of the Peace 
Corps before the withdrawal of volunteers in 1997. He requested 
the return of that agency to CAR as soon as possible.  The 
Ambassador described our major development projects - the 
Property Rights and Artisanal Diamond Development (PRADD) 
project and the road construction project between Bozoum and 
Bossangoa - and made very clear to Maliko that additional 
development assistance would hinge on the CARG's cooperation 
with existing projects.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Minister of Economy, Planning, and International 
Cooperation Sylvain Maliko requested a meeting with the 
Ambassador on January 22 to request additional USG development 
assistance and the return of the Peace Corps.  Up front, Maliko 
admitted that development is often slowed by a lack of 
coordination and internal rivalries within the CARG.  He 
acknowledged that the U.S. provides considerable humanitarian 
assistance to the CAR through international organizations such 
as the World Food Program and Global Fund, but asked why the 
U.S. is not more directly involved in the UNDP-sponsored Poverty 
Reduction Strategy.  Maliko commented that, prior to the 
withdrawal of volunteers in 1997, the Peace Corps was successful 
providing agricultural and English-language training.  He 
requested the return of the Peace Corps as soon as possible. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The Ambassador explained that the U.S. Embassy has been 
rebuilding its capacity since reopening in 2005, but still does 
not have resident USAID personnel.  The PRADD project and roads 
project are specifically targeted to helping Central Africans at 
the grassroots level improve their economic prospects.  The 
Ambassador noted that we have experienced some CARG-generated 
setbacks with these projects (see REFTELS), and Embassy staff 
are frequently detained by various CARG authorities when 
attempting to leave Bangui to visit project sites.  The 
Ambassador made clear that we are not working against the CARG, 
and that future development assistance will be impossible if 
elements of the CARG do not cooperate with the current projects. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador requested Maliko's personal assistance 
to obtain the cooperation of other ministries and isolate those 
officials who are only interested in lining their pockets. 
Maliko promised to follow up on our requests and also asked for 
additional information on the PRADD project. 
 
¶5. (SBU) COMMENT: Post contacts have offered conflicting reports 
on Maliko's honesty and reliability, but the general consensus 
is that he is one of the better ministers and that he does have 
influence with President Bozize.  We plan to provide Maliko with 
the requested information and continue to build a relationship 
with him and the Deputy Minister for International Cooperation, 
who also attended the meeting.  Maliko's comments regarding the 
Peace Corps are typical - we get more requests for Peace Corps 
volunteers than for visa services.  The CARG has formally 
requested the return of the Peace Corps and Post continues to 
support this as perhaps the single most effective engagement we 
could have in the CAR. 
 
COOK