Mano River Union Conference: Consolidating Peace and

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 CONAKRY 001711

SIPDIS

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SENSITIVE

TREASURY FOR OFFICE OF AFRICAN NATIONS

E.O. 12598: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL PBTS EAID GV LI SL IV
SUBJECT: Mano River Union Conference: Consolidating Peace and
Security in the Region


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. On November 16-17, Guinea hosted the Conference
for the Consolidation of Peace and Security in the Mano River
Region. The event brought together delegations from Liberia and
Sierra Leone with officials from various United Nations agencies,
foreign governments, and diplomatic missions based in Guinea. The
conference delegates debated and presented amendments to a draft
"Pact on Good Neighborliness, Stability and Solidarity Between the
States and the Peoples of the Mano River Union." The conference was
a clear effort to re-invigorate regional cooperation, promote peace,
advance mutual understanding and tolerance, and establish mechanisms
to promote common interests among Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and
Cote d'Ivoire.


2. (SBU) Guinea was greatly assisted by the United Nations Office
for West Africa, UNDP, and UNHCR in funding and organizing the
event. While there was little prepared content other than the pact,
participants proposed a number of concrete actions and projects.
More important was the mere fact of the event, bringing together
representatives of government and civil society in personal
encounters where they aired frustrations, openly discussed difficult
border issues, and worked together across national and linguistic
differences to propose common solutions. Guinea's effort represents
a significant leap from its isolated history as it attempts to
re-define itself from merely a haven in a war-torn area to a
sub-regional actor in an international forum. End Summary.

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Mano River Delegations Vary in Size and Stature
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3. (SBU) The November 16-17 Conference for the Consolidation of
Peace and Security in the Mano River Region, brought together
hundreds of delegates from Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone in
Conakry. Initiated by the Guinean government in coordination with
the United Nations Office for West Africa, the host delegation was
dominated by Guinea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The conference
invitations went out under the name of Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation Mamady Conde, who led Guinea's
delegation. On November 16, the conference was opened by Minister
of State for Presidential Affairs and Coordinator of Government
Actions Fode Bangoura. Also present at the opening ceremony were
Minister of State for Territorial Administration and
Decentralization (i.e., interior) Moussa Solano and Minister of
Energy Thierno Habib Diallo.


4. (SBU) The Guinean armed forces delegation was led by General
Kandet Toure, Director of Cabinet at the Ministry of Defense.
General Ibrahima Diallo, General Inspector of Guinean Armed Forces,
also took part in both days of events along with representatives
from Guinea's navy and air force. Although the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs had been keeping a close hold on the conference, there were
mid-level officials from various ministries including Security,
Cooperation, Social Affairs, and Territorial Administration and
Decentralization. (Note: Until last week, key government personnel
charged with regional affairs -- including Guinea's relationship
with the AU, ECOWAS, and the local representative of the Mano River
Union Secretariat, had been unaware of the conference.).


5. (SBU) Liberia was well represented with a high-level delegation
led by Ambassador George Wallace, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The
Liberian Minister of National Security, Anthony Kromah, also played
an active role in the conference. Freetown, however, did not send a
delegation of equal stature. Sierra Leone was represented by Ajhaji
Ali Badara Kamara, the Charge d'Affaires from its embassy in
Conakry. Both Liberia and Sierra Leone had government
representatives from regional centers as well as officials from
various ministries. There was limited participation by civil
society actors from MRU countries. Most of those in attendance were
invited by the United Nations rather than the member states. Cote
d'Ivoire was invited to take part in the conference as an Associate
Member. However, we are not aware of any Ivoirian delegates. The
Ambassador of Cote d'Ivoire to Guinea was not present at the event.


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Strong Presence of International Community
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6. (SBU) In addition to civilian and military representatives from
the Mano River states, the international community made a
particularly strong showing. The financial and logistic support for
the conference was shared by the United Nations Office for West
Africa (UNOWA),UNDP, and UNHCR. The dais for the opening ceremony
included Hans Dahlgren, the EU representative to the Manu River
Countries, who spoke of his more than ten years of experience with
Guinea. Ambassador Miguel Angel Fernandez de Mazarambroz, Director

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of Spain's Plan of Action for Sub-Saharan Africa, pledged a
four-fold increase in funding from Spain to advance development in
Guinea and other nations in West Africa. Ambassador Nasser Borita,
Director for United Nations and International Organizations from the
Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, promised to extend election
support and continued cooperation on regional peace and security.
Rounding out the dais was Mbaranga Gasarabwe, UN Resident
Representative, Stefano Severe, UNHCR Country Representative, and
Jordan Ryan, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General
for Recovery and Governance from UNMIL's Liberia delegation.


7. (SBU) Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the UN
Secretary General for West Africa, opened deliberations on the

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second day of the meeting. Although he was expected to attend,
Ibrahim Gambari, Under-Secretary General and Special Advisor for
Africa at the United Nations, was not present. Jean-Francois Joh
Epoko, Political Affairs Officer in the UN Department of Political
Affairs, told Poloff he was assigned to cover the event and brief
Gambari on the conference as soon as he returned to New York. Epoko
said that Gambari would probably make a trip to Guinea in December
to address several issues, including elections and Mano River Union
integration. Members of the diplomatic corps resident in Guinea
also participated as observers.

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Promoting a Pact on Good Neighborliness
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8. (SBU) Prior to the conference, delegates were presented a draft
document entitled, "A Pact on Good Neighborliness, Stability, and
Solidarity Between the States and Peoples of the Mano River Union."
(Note: We scanned the draft document and sent it via email to the
Department.) It was used as the basis for two days of deliberations
within four working groups on the following themes:

1) Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programs, fight
against small arms trafficking and the consolidation of peace;

2) Cross-border issues, opportunities, and challenges to the free
movement of people and goods;

3) Human rights, humanitarian issues, and the consolidation of peace
and security in the sub-region;

4) Commitment of youth and women to the consolidation of peace and
security in the Mano River Union.

Each group was charged with delving into a section of the draft pact
-- to make amendments and to propose relevant joint programs.


9. (SBU) Chapter I of the Pact outlined several principles of
peaceful coexistence. Chapter II of the draft document outlines the
objective of the pact. It reads, "This pact shall serve to promote
and to build confidence among the member States; to strengthen and
maintain cooperation, peace, security and stability among the
communities of the Mano River Union, in an atmosphere of mutuality
and solidarity...these measures shall strengthen and complement the
objectives of ECOWAS and of the African Union by means of
concentrating on the actions taken in key areas covered under the
Pact, with a view to consolidating regional peace and security".
The conference organizers said the delegates' recommendations would
be submitted to each country for further amendments and a final
document would be adopted at the next Summit of Heads of State of
the Mano River Union.

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Stolen Mangoes, Rape, and Other Family Secrets
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10. (SBU) During the working group deliberations there were many
references to the member states as "good neighbors" and "family
members." The small group sessions on the first day of the
conference were consumed by an almost palpable need to bear witness
to and try to make sense of transgressions and crimes that crippled
the region. This mood was especially pronounced in the session on
cross-border issues. Eschewing the agenda, Mbemba Bangoura, the
governor of Faranah, spoke passionately about Sierra Leoneans and
Liberians sneaking over the border to steal Guinea's rich mangos and
pineapples. He alleged the fruit is stolen and sold in neighboring
countries for many times more than they could be sold in Guinea.
Bangoura said he was not so pained by the act of pilferage, but
frustrated by a Guinean economy that is so much feebler than its
war-torn neighbors. The participants addressed the thorny issue of
Yenga and agreed that a buffer zone should be developed for
international commerce.


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11. (SBU) Some women spoke matter-of-factly about being raped by
gangs of combatants, many of them young teenagers known to them.
The women said they were less pained by the rapes themselves than by
the utter unresponsiveness of their neighbors. Saran Daraba Kaba,
President of the Mano River Women Peace Network, admonished
participants in the session on women and youth to "never again" turn
away when neighbors are suffering. Sierra Leone and Liberia have
their respective truth and reconciliation commissions to deal with
the emotional and legal fallout of the wars that have ravished them,
but Guinea lacks any such outlet, she said. Guineans have not been
ravished by war, but they clearly wanted their neighbors to know
they too suffer. By the end of the first day, participants seemed
ready to work towards concrete suggestions and adhere to the agenda.



12. (SBU) On the second day, the working groups returned in earnest
to the tasks at hand - developing concrete proposals for action. In
the readouts from the working groups, there were few changes to the
draft Pact on Good Neighborliness. All delegates agreed that their
collective action was needed to improve the situation in the region
to guarantee sustainable peace and prosperity. The afternoon was
punctuated by traditional music from a local musical troupe of
Guinean youth. Saran Daraba Kaba and other women from the Mano
River Women Peace Network exhorted participants to their feet to
enjoy the music. In the main conference room, lines of protocol
were dropped as governors and ministers danced with representatives
from civil society, and ambassadors and generals moved to the
traditional rhythms of the region.

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Transforming the MRU from a "Den of Death and Despair"
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13. (SBU) In his opening remarks, Liberian Foreign Minister George
Wallace said, "The people of Liberia are committed to transform the
Mano River Union from a den of death and despair into a space of
serenity, calm, and peace. We have all paid for civil uprising and
war and have said goodbye to actions that risk national unity. A
responsible Liberia is re-entering the community of nations and we
intend to build mutual trust with our neighbors". Wallace continued
his remarks by stating that security was the foundation for
development and "Liberia is willing to enforce the Pact to the
letter." This sentiment was shared by other members of the Liberian
delegation.


14. (SBU) The Ambassador spoke with Liberian Foreign Minister
Wallace on the margins of the conference. The Ambassador noted that
the level of Guinea's anxiety about Liberia had diminished since
Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's election and, especially, since Charles
Taylor's incarceration in The Hague. He said that, with Taylor in
jail, Guinea no longer feared another rebel attack and appeared open
to normalizing its relations with Liberia. The Ambassador
recommended that Liberia appoint an ambassador to Guinea without
delay to facilitate communication between Conakry and Monrovia, and
to rebuild confidence between Guinea and Liberia. Foreign Minister
Wallace agreed, saying that he already had a candidate in mind.


15. (SBU) In his closing remarks, Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah
congratulated Guinea for its constant efforts in support of the
region. He encouraged all MRU states to keep reaching across
borders to develop collective solutions to improve the everyday
lives of the population. He also said that Guinea needs to focus on
developing a national dimension to the themes of the international
conference it is hosting. Ould-Abdallah encouraged Guinean leaders
to reach out internally to civil society, political party leaders,
and other key segments of its population to promote peace and
stability in Guinea. "We must reinforce the connections between the
nations and we must reinforce the linkages among the people within
each nation," he said. Ould-Abdallah encouraged firm follow-up to
continue the forward momentum.

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Comment
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16. (SBU) The conference was the first such forum for Mano River
Union representatives from governments, security forces, and civil
society to have such an honest dialogue. The fact of the meeting
was more important that the actual substance of the discussions.
Most significant perhaps was that the regional initiative was led by
Guinea, with its history of isolation. It marked Guinea's effort to
emerge from the shadows of its neighbors' civil wars. Many
difficult issues were put on the table, including gross human rights
violations, ongoing border issues, and airing the "dirty laundry" of
wars, rebel incursions, and their aftermath. The atmosphere was
friendly, warm, and "good neighborly". All agreed that it marked a

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very positive step in the right direction.


17. (SBU) The conference organizers repeatedly encouraged the
development of projects to be submitted to donors. Post plans to
coordinate with U.S. Missions Liberia and Sierra Leone to determine
what type of collaborative projects may be viable. We also plan to
work closely with our Guinean contacts to encourage them to mobilize
national resources in support of these priorities. During the
conference, we reminded them that donor engagement should
compliment, rather than replace, the MRU members' commitment. While
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the conference, much of the
vision (including the draft documents) was contributed by various
United Nations offices.

MCDONALD