Les bombes de wikileaks sur Wade et sa famille : Selon les américains Karim est aujourd'hui surnommé 'Monsieur 15 %'

La question tient lieu de fil rouge des télégrammes diplomatiques américains obtenus par Wikileaks et révélés par Le Monde. Se lit la nouvelle difficulté qu'affrontent les puissances occidentales dans leur politique d'aide à l'Afrique : elles soumettent leur financement à des exigences de bonne gestion, alors que les Africains ont de nouveaux "amis" comme les Chinois, nettement moins regardants.

Lors d'un long tête-à-tête rapporté par un télégramme du 18 février 2010, Marcia Bernicat, l'ambassadrice américaine au Sénégal, tente de persuader le président Wade, 84 ans, de la nécessité de prendre des mesures contre la corruption. "L'impression selon laquelle la corruption est répandue est aujourd'hui devenue [au Sénégal] une réalité qui ne peut être combattue que par des mesures concrètes", avertit la diplomate. Face à elle, le président Wade répète qu'"aucun cas de corruption n'a été récemment porté devant la justice".

"GLOUSSEMENT"

Après des années de refus pour cause d'opacité financière, les Etats-Unis ont fini par accorder en septembre 2009 au Sénégal un crédit de 540 millions de dollars sur cinq ans au titre du "Millenium challenge corporation", un programme d'aide au développement soumis à de strictes conditions.

Forte de ce levier financier, l'ambassadrice est venue faire pression. Elle a tenté d'amadouer son interlocuteur en lui faisant cadeau d'une photo le représentant avec Hillary Clinton, dédicacée de la main de la secrétaire d'Etat. Mais son message est clair : "Le Sénégal pourrait perdre" ce financement si les indicateurs de corruption s'aggravaient.

Inquiet, le président Wade "demande abruptement des assurances", mettant en avant la nécessité d'aider "les plus pauvres". Finalement, après "un gloussement", il reconnaît la nécessité d'agir contre la corruption.

L'ambassadrice ne paraît guère convaincue. Le président, prédit-elle, "va louvoyer entre des mesures et la poursuite de l'autorisation donnée à ceux qui sont habitués à se servir dans les caisses du gouvernement, de le faire afin de s'assurer que leur loyauté demeure intacte". Et elle ajoute : "Les ressemblances frappantes entre le père et le fils dans ce domaine montrent que tous les deux continuent de sous-estimer l'importance de cette question pour les bailleurs de fonds et, de plus en plus, pour les électeurs."

"DÉMOCRATIE FAIBLISSANTE"

Le Sénégal est décrit comme "une démocratie faiblissante", dominée par Abdoulaye et Karim Wade. Le père et le fils, indiquent les mémos, sont plus occupés à "ouvrir la voie à une succession présidentielle dynastique" et à tirer les ficelles du "monde machiavélique de la politique sénégalaise" qu'à "s'attaquer aux problèmes urgents" que sont "le prix élevé des denrées de première nécessité, les coupures électriques fréquentes ou la périlleuse émigration des jeunes vers l'Espagne".

Au fil des mémos apparaît l'obsession du vieux président sénégalais : "Il veut décrocher le prix Nobel et a plusieurs fois appelé le président Sarkozy pour demander son soutien" selon deux diplomates français. Mais aussi une réalité moins brillante : "Wade s'est fait voler 52 millions de francs CFA (79 273 euros) dans son appartement de Paris par un membre de son entourage", est-il aussi rapporté en novembre 2009.

L'un de ses projets phares, les cent écoles maternelles baptisées "cases des tout-petits"est une "coquille vide", indique un mémo : "Les sites concernés sont soit fermés, soit utilisés à de multiples autres usages".

"Comme d'habitude, constate un autre mémo en mai 2009, après un remaniement ministériel, il y a trop de ministres (…) qui ne font rien." Au total, les Américains estiment, fin 2009, que "le président Wade se trouve dans une situation politique difficile en raison de son grand âge du rejet de son fils par les Sénégalais (…)".

"MONSIEUR 15 %"

Alors que l'élection présidentielle sénégalaise est prévue en 2012, un diplomate français cité par un télégramme de l'ambassade américaine à Paris, daté du 2 février 2010, juge "crédible" le scénario d'une élection anticipée car, selon lui, "Wade réalise que ni lui ni Karim ne peut gagner en 2012 sans une fraude massive que le pays et la communauté internationale ne pourraient supporter".

Karim Wade semble intéresser les Américains au moins autant que son père. Ils le considèrent comme séduisant mais impopulaire et prennent au sérieux sa réputation sulfureuse. "Karim est aujourd'hui surnommé 'Monsieur 15 %' alors qu'au début de 2007, on l'appelait 'Monsieur 10 %'", note malicieusement l'ambassadrice. Les diplomates français consultés par les Américains ne sont pas plus tendres.

Dans ce contexte douteux, l'inquiétude américaine domine pour l'avenir. Les diplomates constatent "les profondes divisions" dans le camp présidentiel comme dans l'opposition. Ils estiment que "si Abdoulaye Wade décédait sans avoir désigné de successeur", suivrait probablement "une période de violente lutte intestine dans les deux camps, et une instabilité générale du pays".

Philippe Bernard le monde.fr avec leral.net

Viewing cable 09DAKAR1069, CONFLICTING MESSAGES ABOUT WADE'S MONUMENT

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09DAKAR1069 2009-08-19 13:01 2010-12-09 21:09 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Dakar
VZCZCXRO6177
OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHGI RUEHJO RUEHMA RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDK #1069/01 2311310
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 191310Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2953
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1251
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0408
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 001069

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR AF/W
PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM XY PU
SUBJECT: CONFLICTING MESSAGES ABOUT WADE'S MONUMENT

REF: 08 DAKAR 696

¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Details have continued to emerge regarding
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade's project for a "Monument of the African Renaissance." To pay off the North Korean firm that is
constructing the monument, a valuable tract of land is said to have
been given to Mbackeou Faye, one of Wade's prominent supporters,
with the instructions that Faye should pay the cost of construction
(believed to be $25-35 million) to the North Koreans with proceeds
from selling the newly-acquired land. After paying off the North
Koreans, Faye will end up with a hefty profit from the land deal.
In response to an inquiry from the European Union (EU), Prime
Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye defended the land deal without
really revealing any details. However, his additional assertion
that the Ministry of Finance (MOF) had supervised the process
conflicts with existing information. Additionally, Wade's recent
decision to claim 35 percent of the monument's proceeds as an
intellectual property right conflicts with Ndiaye's assertion that
the land deal was done transparently and within GOS regulations.
END SUMMARY.


BACKGROUND ON THE MONUMENT
--------------------------

¶2. (SBU) The execution of President Wade's idea for a "Monument of
the African Renaissance" in Dakar is currently in the process of
being realized. A 100-plus North Korean crew has been constructing
the titanic, grandiose edifice of a style reminiscent of the
Stalinesque behemoths of the halcyon days of the Soviet Union. As
described by a GOS brochure, the structure features an "African man
emerging from a volcano, facing the West, with his wife, and he is
holding his child up as if to show him to the world." Reportedly,
Wade sees the monument as a cultural legacy for himself and a
tangible symbol mirroring his belief that Africa must look to the
future rather than be beholden to its past.


THE MONUMENT(al) LAND DEAL
----------------------

¶3. (SBU) Wade appropriated a public piece of land occupying the
western-most promontory of the Senegalese coast, just northwest of
downtown Dakar to be used for the site of his proposed monument. He hired a North Korean firm to construct the monument at a cost of CFA 12-16 billion (approximately USD $25-35 million), according to Wade himself. To cover the costs of construction, rather than pay for
the structure from the GOS's limited budget, a valuable tract of
land near Dakar's airport was appropriated. Rather than sell the
land itself, it is believed the North Koreans and/or GOS engaged the
services of Mbackeou Faye, a prominent businessman and one of Wade's close friends and loyal supporters, to commercialize the real
estate. (COMMENT: Although the GOS asserts that the North Koreans
chose Faye to develop and sell the property, it is all but certain
that Wade himself chose Faye and merely told the North Koreans whom to hire. END COMMENT)

¶4. (SBU) Faye has sold 12 hectares of land thus far, to Ipres, a
retirement and pension institution for private sector and
nongovernment employees-civil servants, for USD $54 million. (NOTE: pres is co-managed by the private sector and the GOS, with Wade nominating the company's director and the company's private board confirming the nomination. END NOTE.) With the remaining land, Faye is believed to be planning to build 270 luxurious residences, each of which will cost USD $300,000. This is expected to bring him an additional USD $81 million. After paying the North Korean firm, Faye is expected to end up with a handsome profit from the deal. (COMMENT: Although Ipres's board is technically independent, its members are vulnerable to political pressure from the Presidency. Wade can easily pull some strings at the company to push deals through. It is very probable that Wade had some say in Ipres's land purchase. END COMMENT.)


THE GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO CONTRADICT ITSELF
------------------------------------------

¶5. (SBU) On June 30, 2009 the EU sent a letter to the GOS
questioning the land deal. In the letter, the EU complained that
the GOS gave up a valuable revenue-generating opportunity while
continuing to ask for budget support from donors.

¶6. (SBU) On July 9, Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye responded with a letter defending the land deal, essentially arguing that the GOS had done nothing wrong, did not "sell" the land, and did not receive any money. The letter also argues that the North Koreans, not the GOS, chose Faye to develop the land. Furthermore,

DAKAR 00001069 002 OF 002


the letter asserts that the MOF was involved in all aspects of the land
deal. This is in direct contradiction to what Abdoulaye Diop, the
Minister of Finance, asserted during the presentation of the revised
2009 budget at the National Assembly. Essentially, the Minister
stated that the MOF was not involved in the monument land deal.
(NOTE: According to XXXXXXXXXXXX the President handled the land deal himself without consulting the ministry, and that the Presidency, not the MOF, controls all public land in the airport and upscale Almadies neighborhoods. END NOTE.)

FURTHER CONTRADICTIONS
----------------------
¶7. (SBU) President Wade recently claimed that since the monument was his own personal idea he has a right to share in the proceeds,
claiming intellectual property rights over the statue. Wade has
subsequently created a foundation and claimed that 35 percent of the
monument's proceeds will go as royalties to the foundation.
Additionally, Wade has named his son, Karim Wade, as the president of the foundation's board of directors. The money that goes to the foundation will ostensibly be used to fund another of Wade's pet projects, the "Cases de Tout Petits". These "cases" are early
childhood education centers, of which over 100 have been built
throughout the country since 2000. Although these "cases" are a
good idea in theory, early childhood education is a luxury in a
country where even universal primary education is unattainable.
Most of the existing centers sit as empty shells, either locked or
diverted to multiple other uses.

MORE TO COME?
-------------
¶8. (SBU) In his letter, Ndiaye mentioned that a second land deal is
likely in the works. He claimed that this deal will cover the costs of landscaping the monument grounds, the construction of a
proposed museum and conference center inside the edifice, and the
construction of parking lots and an amusement park.

COMMENT
-------

¶9. (SBU) The monument, the outer shell of which is missing only the
man's head, is now a prominent feature of greater Dakar's skyline
clearly visible from most of the outer rim of the city. As it sits
close enough to the flight path of planes landing at Dakar's
international airport, it is ensured of becoming a topic of
conversation for foreign visitors and those passing through. The
Senegalese man and woman on the street are also talking, most
expressing the simple plaint that, if given the choice, they would
have preferred electricity and running water. END COMMENT.

BERNICAT

Viewing cable 10DAKAR127, Ambassador Discusses Corruption with Senegalese President If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin 10DAKAR127 2010-02-18 17:05 2010-12-09 21:09 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Dakar VZCZCXRO7013 OO RUEHPA DE RUEHDK #0127/01 0491731 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O R 181731Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0079 INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 DAKAR 000127 SENSITIVE SIPDIS AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE PASS TO AMEMBASSY MALABO E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/02/18 TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM KMCA ECON SG SUBJECT: Ambassador Discusses Corruption with Senegalese President REF: 09 DAKAR 1069 CLASSIFIED BY: Marcia Bernicat, Ambassador, DOS, Exec; REASON: 1.4(B), (D) ¶1. (U) Summary: After nearly two hours of a mostly one-on-one discussion that included lighter and more tense exchanges, Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade took the suggestion to demonstrate tangible steps of fighting corruption. Wade relied on his standard defense of the fact there have been no cases of corruption brought to trial in recent years. Despite reports from the budget inspector's court and the inspector general's office, there have been no trials of prominent civilian or political figures since Wade's election in 2000. Wade first claimed that: 1) his political enemies are using the press to make false accusations, 2) it is difficult to prove corruption exists, and 3) as President he cannot possibly monitor everything that happens in his government. He finally acknowledged that it was statistically impossible for his claims that there is no corruption in Senegal to be true, and that he needed to address donor concerns regarding increased corruption in Senegal. Recalling conversations he had last fall with the Secretary and President Obama, the Ambassador urged President Wade to help the U.S. continue to help Senegal by demonstrating through concrete actions a reduction in corruption levels to avoid any governance-related sanctions. End Summary. ¶2. (U) Ambassador Bernicat opened the one-on-one conversation with President Abdoulaye Wade by presenting him with a signed copy of a photo with Secretary Clinton prior to the signing of the MCC Compact Agreement in September 2009 and commending his humanitarian outreach to Haitian earthquake victims. She further praised Wade's January 21, 2010 announcement to his Counsel of Ministers of the importance of fighting corruption and that he was open to the possibility of giving Senegal's Anti-Corruption Commission greater autonomy. She explained, however, that there was growing concern in the United States and among Senegal's other donors and the international community about the increase in corruption in Senegal and impunity towards it. His recent response to a letter he received from the new President of MCC, Daniel W. Yohannes, dismissing the issue, she added, served to underline those concerns. ¶3. (U) President Wade responded initially by explaining that it is difficult to "prove a negative" and that his government does not seek out cases, absent specific details. It is most important, he argued, for a government to demonstrate its political will to fight corruption when it arises, not to go on witch hunts. By way of example, he acknowledged the European Union had raised concerns about the sale of land used to fund the construction of the African Renaissance Monument, but insisted he has satisfied those concerns. He continued with a detailed explanation regarding why the convoluted sale of public land at different prices was required. The Ambassador countered that the opaque way in which the land was sold had lent itself to charges of corruption. (FYI. See reftel - and note that the EU Resident Representative in Dakar found President Wade's explanation unconvincing and remains critical of the land deal. End FYI.) 4.(U) The Ambassador responded to President Wade's request for specific cases to pursue by asking about the status of the forty-nine cases of alleged money laundering that Senegal's Financial Investigative Unit CENTIF has referred to the State Prosecutor since 2005, but which have not yet been brought to trial. Wade initially responded that the GOS did not want to discourage foreign investments by scrutinizing every money transfer. Following the Ambassador's brief explanation that cases brought to CENTIF were part of a well-regulated international system made more robust in the wake of the discovery of the role that terrorist financing played in the 9/11 attacks, Wade convoked both the head of CENTIF, Ngouda Fall Kane, and the new Justice Minister, El Hadj Amadou Sall, to explain the delay. He demurred that he could not interfere in another branch of government, but the Ambassador parried that it was important, given his commitment to end corruption, to follow such cases closely and help break any logjams when they occur. As Senegal was the first Francophone African member to join Egmont in May 2009, it has a special responsibility to lead by example. Sall confirmed that CENTIF cases needed to be taken seriously. 5.(U) Justice Minister Sall, the third person to hold the post in the last 4 months, had the advantage of inheriting the delays and DAKAR 00000127 002 OF 003 assured Wade he would investigate the nature of the delays and resolve them as soon as possible. He also claimed to be pursuing a number of other corruption cases at the moment and would have some arrests to report shortly. XXXXXXXXXXXX ¶6. (U) Wade relied only briefly on the argument he used with President Obama last fall - that his political enemies are inciting the press to fabricate stories about corruption, but shifted fairly quickly when the Ambassador asserted that the perception of widespread corruption has now become a reality that only concrete actions can effectively address. Another recurring theme throughout the discussion was that, as President, Wade claimed he could not possibly know the behavior of every government official. The Ambassador contended each time that he needed to create an environment in which it is clear corruption will not be tolerated and follow through by having those guilty arrested and prosecuted, highlighting recent years of U.S. assistance to train law enforcement and judicial authorities in combating money laundering, corruption, and other transnational crimes. The Ambassador then argued that corruption is everywhere in the world and that it is statistically impossible for there to be no cases in Senegal. Wade, who has an advanced degree in mathematics and statistics, chuckled and conceded, agreeing that he needed to demonstrate concrete steps to fight corruption. ¶7. (U) Finally, citing U.S. legislation which now requires Secretary Clinton's certification of each country's budget transparency, the Ambassador urged President Wade to adopt the Integrated System of Public Financial Management "SIGFIP," a computer system whose automation of the budget process will significantly enhance Senegal's fiscal reform efforts by making public funds fully accountable. Wade assured the Ambassador that only he had been successful in reducing the backlog of the final budget review process, but the Ambassador noted that the current backlog meant Senegal would still not meet the standard of the legislation. SIGFIP would be a comprehensive and foolproof way to regulate potential corrupt spending within the ministries. (Comment: Local World Bank officials have promised to pass summary information on SIGFIP to Wade. End Comment) ¶8. (SBU) Tellingly, President Wade ended the discussion by abruptly asking for assurances that the U.S. Government would not deny Senegal the MCC Compact at this point, given its focus on improving conditions of the country's poorest. Ambassador Bernicat explained to him that development assistance was targeted for a country's most needy; MCC Compacts were reserved for the developing world's best performers. She stressed that legislation requires that continued declines in measures of good governance, corruption, or other indicators would result in Senegal losing its Compact, as could other egregious acts that meet with Congressional appropriators' disapproval. That would be especially true of corruption, she added, reminding him that some Members of Congress had expressed their concerns at the time the Compact was signed. ¶9. (SBU) This meeting closely followed discussions in which the European Union Representative, the DCM, and Ambassador made similar points to President Wade's son, Karim, the Minister for International Cooperation, Land Use, Air Transport and Infrastructure. The Ambassador also briefed a group of core donors (France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Canada, European Union, World Bank, and, for the first time in a group setting, China) following a series of individual meetings to compare notes (as is customary) and report on actions to counter corruption in Senegal. The group agreed to continue to place pressure on the Wade administration constructively, in part, by drawing on a common set of talking points condemning corruption to raise the level of intolerance for it in this pre-election season. ¶10. (C) Comment: Several actions (reported septel) taken prior to or following this discussion suggest to the hopeful that President Wade is finally taking steps to curb corruption, but post believes he will walk a fine line between taking these steps and continuing DAKAR 00000127 003 OF 003 to allow those used to helping themselves to government funds to do so to ensure their loyalties remain intact. The striking similarities of the father and son on this issue suggest the two continue to underestimate the importance of this issue to the donors and, increasingly, to the electorate. It also suggests that they continue to work in concert toward preparing the way for a presidential dynastic succession rather than, as some speculate, that Karim Wade was undermining a father increasingly sidelined by his own political missteps of the last few months. President Wade, who reportedly is more frequently frail and distracted, was robust and in command of the subject matter throughout the nearly two-hour discussion. End comment. SMITH