MGIV01: ALLEGATION OF BURKINABE INVOLVEMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002817 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/30/2012 TAGS: PREL MOPS MARR PINS IV NI UV SUBJECT: MGIV01: ALLEGATION OF BURKINABE INVOLVEMENT REF: A. ABIDJAN 3334 ¶B. LOME 1309 Classified by Ambassador Howard F. Jeter. Reason: 1.5(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Former Nigerian FM Kingibe alleges that the September 19 coup plot was hatched in Ouagadougou by Guei and Burkina's Interior Minister. Kingibe has good connections across the region, but his version of events might be influenced by his role as a political consultant to the GOCI. End Summary. ¶2. (C) Baba Gana Kingibe is a former Foreign Minister (and Interior Minister) of Nigeria. He makes his living today by, among other things, political consulting. Kingibe told DCM October 3 that the Gbagbo government had been a client early in its tenure. Kingibe claimed that he had helped the GOCI warm its relations with Nigeria and convinced Pretoria to release a shipment of ARMSCOR products ordered by Bedie that had been frozen following Guei's coup. The late Interior Minister of Cote d'Ivoire, Emile Boga Doudou, had been an acquaintance whom Kingibe had met through "Francois," a business associate and mutual friend. ¶3. (C) At a point in the past Kingibe did not specify, Guei reportedly met in Ouagadougou with the Burkinabe Interior Minister (possibly a reference to Security Minister Bassole) at the home of an exiled Guei Minister to plot Gbagbo's overthrow. However, the former Guei subordinate let it be known that he did not want to participate in the plot. He was, Kingibe said, quickly "eliminated," but not before Gbagbo got wind of the scheme against him. ¶4. (C) Consequently, Gbagbo arranged for Boga Doudou to meet his Burkinabe counterpart in Paris to smooth things over between the two countries. The meeting ended, amicably Boga Doudou thought. He returned to Abidjan September 18 to be in place while Gbagbo went to Rome. ¶5. (C) Kingibe said "Francois" later told him that Boga Doudou, realizing fairly early on the 19th what had been set in motion by the rebel forces, jumped his back wall into the compound of a French expat to escape rebels who would soon be at his front door. He called "Francois" from that compound and during the conversation reportedly said, "Francois they are coming in. I am shot." ¶6. (C) Kingibe opined that Campaore was probably aware of his Interior Minister's (Security Minister's) activities. Kingibe suggested that Campaore thought such machinations might impress Libya. ¶7. (C) Kingibe said he believed Liberia's denials of involvement in this particular effort to destabilize Cote d'Ivoire. ¶8. (C) Comment: Kingibe is smooth and articulate and capable of being manipulative. The story he tells is not inconsistent with what we know of pre-coup attempt events. Kingibe could be telling the unvarnished truth as he understands it, or he might be shading it to achieve a desired objective. The mention of Libya was obviously intended to pique USG interest. One assumes Kingibe continues to work for Gbagbo as a political consultant (Kingibe did not claim the contrary),and Gbagbo would benefit from the USG believing that Campaore was behind the rebellion. Kingibe did not claim Campaore knew what his Minister was doing, but he strongly suggested it by saying that Campaore was constantly meddling in the affairs of neighboring states. ¶9. (C) The picture Kingibe paints of Burkinabe instigation is troublesome. It would mean that Campaore's attempt at rehabilitation by cutting his partnership with Charles Taylor is pure subterfuge. It also suggests that Campaore had not tired of Taylor's antics but had tired instead of playing second fiddle and was ready to embark on destabilizing misadventures where he was the leading man. If so, this would make him as equally dangerous to sub-regional stability as his former friend in Monrovia. JETER