Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07CONAKRY1249
2007-11-19 15:28:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:  

AMBASSADOR,S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND

Tags:  PREL PGOV ASEC GV 
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VZCZCXRO0219
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #1249/01 3231528
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 191528Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1886
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 001249 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC GV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR,S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND
SECURITY - ELECTIONS, POLICE AND DRUGS

REF: A. CONAKRY 1245


B. CONAKRY 1225

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 001249

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/19/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC GV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR,S MEETING WITH MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND
SECURITY - ELECTIONS, POLICE AND DRUGS

REF: A. CONAKRY 1245


B. CONAKRY 1225

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) SUMMARY. Guinea,s Minister of Interior offered a
number of assurances to the Ambassador during his initial
courtesy call on November 16, although he was not necessarily
convincing. The Minister said that elections should move
forward soon and that the Guinean Government will assure
non-partisan neutrality within its ranks. He confirmed that
the GoG plans to hire 6,600 new police officers, but its new
police academy facility is severely limited. Finally, the
Minister said that there has been a marked increase in drug
trafficking through Guinea over the last year. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Ambassador Carter met with Beau Keita, Minister of
Interior and Security (MIS) on November 16 for his initial
courtesy call. The formal discussion touched on Guinea,s
postponed legislative elections, plans for a new police
academy, and drug trafficking. The Ambassador was
accompanied by the RSO and poloff.

--------------
BIO NOTES
--------------


3. (SBU) Minister Keita was appointed in March 2007 by Prime
Minister Lansana Kouyate as part of Guinea,s new consensus
government. Born in 1957, Keita has a law degree from the
University of Conakry and did post-graduate study at the
Moscow Police Academy in Russia. A long-time GoG bureaucrat,
Minister Keita rose through the ranks, serving subsequently
in a number of deputy level positions within the Guinean
police force, as the Director of the Police Academy, the
Director of Investigations, the Director of the Judicial
Police, and the Deputy Director General of the Police.
Before becoming Minister, Keita was the Chief of Staff within
the Ministry of Security.


4. (SBU) Minister Keita is married and has seven children.
He speaks French and Russian. Keita is also reportedly close
to the Prime Minister - they both hail from the same
prefecture of Kouroussa.

--------------
WAITING ON THE CENI
--------------


5. (SBU) Echoing the prime minister,s November 13 comments

(reftel A),Keita said that he is certain the National
Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) will be established
soon. He said that with President Lansana Conte,s signature
on the actual law (reftel B),the decree listing the 25 CENI
members should soon follow. Keita added that a building has
already been identified to house CENI operations. However,
Keita said that once the CENI is in place, it will need
equipment and financing, not only for the 25 CENI members,
but for the considerable number of support staff such an
operation entails. Keita emphasized that donor assistance in
this regard is critical. The Ambassador mentioned that the
U.S. Government plans to provide $400,000 in technical
assistance to the MIS as well as $300,000 to the CENI.

--------------
GOVERNMENT NEUTRALITY GUARANTEED
--------------


6. (SBU) Turning to elections administration, the Ambassador
commented that some Guineans are concerned about the GoG,s
ability to maintain neutrality and asked the Minister how he
plans to address this issue. Keita said that the current
government is already neutral since many of the
administrative officials have been replaced, including the
ministers, governors, prefects, and sous-prefects. &For the
first time, our administration is non-partisan,8 he said.
Keita added that unlike in the past, government officials no
longer participate in political party rallies or events. The
Minister assured the Ambassador that administrative
neutrality would not be an issue during the elections.

-------------- --
NEW POLICE ACADEMY, BUT NO WATER OR ELECTRICITY
-------------- --


7. (SBU) The Ambassador asked the Minister about plans to
hire several thousand new police officers and establish a
national police academy. Keita said that they have already
selected a site for the police academy, but that it is 120 km
from Conakry and has only minimal access to water and no
electricity. The Minister said that electricity is not

CONAKRY 00001249 002 OF 002


really a major problem, but the lack of water constrains the
maximum capacity of the facility. Keita clarified that the
academy can only accommodate 1,200 recruits at any one time,
so the Ministry is planning to cycle through 1,200 officers
every nine months until it reaches its hiring goal of 6,600.
The Minister added that any USG assistance for the academy or
the police in general would be welcome.

--------------
INCREASED DRUG TRAFFICKING THROUGH GUINEA
--------------


8. (SBU) In response to questions about increased drug
trafficking through Guinea, the Minister said that there has
been a marked increase in drug trafficking, particularly over
the last nine months. He added that drug crackdowns in
Senegal and Mauritania have caused traffickers to travel more
frequently through Guinea and Guinea Bissau. Keita said that
the MIS is actively working with partners to address the
problem, especially European destination countries such as
France and Spain. Keita also commented that drug trafficking
brings high levels of corruption. He noted that there is a
significant amount of money laundering occurring in the
country and that most of the money connected to drug
trafficking eventually leaves the country.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


9. (C) Although the meeting was cordial, the Minister,s
comments and their delivery suggest that he was reciting a
standard response, especially on elections questions. He
also made a number of misstatements. With respect to
administrative neutrality, Keita said that sous-prefects have
already been replaced, which is not true. In addition, he
said that government officials do not participate in partisan
political events, which is also false ) ruling Party for
Unity and Progress (PUP) contacts reported that a number of
mayors and other officials were eager to welcome them and
participate in their events during their September tour of
the interior. Numerous contacts have indicated that it is
critical that the government is perceived as a neutral entity
capable of administering credible, transparent elections.
Keita,s comment that this is not a problem suggests a
problematic disconnect with the population at large.


10. (C) Keita seems to be very accustomed to speaking to
donor countries and saying what he knows they want to hear.
However, his assurances were not particularly convincing. At
the same time, by putting him on the spot, we now have the
ability to go back to him if things do not proceed as he says
they will ) and call on him to deliver on what he promised.
END COMMENT.
CARTER