GUINEA MOVES TO EXPAND POLICE FORCES BEFORE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 001084 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM GV SUBJECT: GUINEA MOVES TO EXPAND POLICE FORCES BEFORE ELECTIONS ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Guinean government officials report that the government has recruited 4,617 new police officers although none have started training and funding has not been allocated. Government contacts expressed hope that these new police forces be fully operational and deployed before the upcoming legislative elections. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Poloff met with Elhadj Madifing Diane, an inspector at the Ministry of Interior and Security (MIS) in charge of external relations, on September 25. Elhadj Amadou Diallo, Secretary General of the Ministry of Interior and Security, SIPDIS was also present. ¶3. (SBU) In recent months, various official and private contacts privately told poloff that Guinea,s police forces are significantly understaffed. In his July speech at the opening of the special budgetary session, Aboubacar Sompare, President of the National Assembly, publicly stated that the country needs to substantially increase its police forces. In accordance with these views, Diane told poloff that MIS has already recruited 4,617 new police officers, 1600 of which will be police detectives. These recruits comprise nearly half of the 10,000 officers MIS hopes to hire over the next year, according to Diane. ¶4. (SBU) Although the recruits have been identified, Diane said none have started training. Typically, police training programs run about 12 months, but given the acute need for additional forces, Diane said the training will be accelerated, lasting anywhere from three to nine months. Diane added that Conakry,s police training center can accommodate about 1200 officers while the remaining recruits will be trained at regional centers throughout the country. Diane stated that the GoG has approved MIS, hiring plan, but that the Ministry has not received any financing so there is no targeted start date for training programs. ¶5. (SBU) Diane added that MIS hopes to have these new police forces in place before elections. He did not comment on the elections timeline, but mentioned that a nine-month police training program is more realistic than a three-month program. Once the subject of elections was raised, MIS Secretary General Diallo, who is the GoG,s point person on SIPDIS elections, said that &in order to ensure democracy, we must have police forces in place.8 Diane added that these new recruits will be trained on their responsibilities with respect to civilians in order to avoid potential problems. Diallo said the whole idea of police forces for the elections is a paradox. On one hand, the GoG must make sure there are enough forces present to maintain order, while on the other hand, make sure that there not so many that they serve as a deterrent to a transparent electoral process, Diallo said. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT. In a separate August meeting, Diallo emphasized to poloff that Guinea needs police forces in general and not specifically for the elections. Diane,s comment that the GoG wants the forces in place before the elections coupled with his statement that a realistic training program will likely take nine months, could indicate that MIS might use the police issue to further delay national elections. END COMMENT. BROKENSHIRE