GUINEA MOVES TO EXPAND POLICE FORCES BEFORE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 001084

SIPDIS

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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,

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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

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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