TFGV01: SITREP 43: GUINEA UNREST, FEB. 16, 2007,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000184

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR GUINEA TASK FORCE, AF/W, AF/EX, CA/OCS, DS/IP/AF
PLEASE ALSO PASS TO AID/AFR, PEACE CORPS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/15/2017
TAGS: PGOV ASEC CASC ELAB PINS AEMR GV
SUBJECT: TFGV01: SITREP 43: GUINEA UNREST, FEB. 16, 2007,
1200 GMT

REF: CONAKRY 183 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: POLOFF JESSICA DAVIS BA, REASON 1.4 (b,d)

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Situation on the Ground
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1. (SBU) At present, Conakry is quiet. There was increased
pedestrian traffic this morning, despite its being during
curfew hours. There is no vehicular traffic. As in past
days, women are at stands selling small items but the shops
and stores remain closed. Over the last 24 hours, the
security environment is more calm than it has been in
previous days.


2. (SBU) There is a marked decrease in the presence of
security forces, though the military continues patrols in
certain areas. There are also more checkpoints than
previously, especially last night. Military officers
continue to man a checkpoint at Castro bridge, the chokepoint
into downtown. As we observed the afternoon of February 15,
the military routinely searches vehicles and questions
passengers, but they let most through to Kaloum. The
military allows diplomatic vehicles to pass without checking
them.


3. (C) On February 15, between the hours of 1800 and 1900,
when the curfew began and for several hours thereafter,
military patrols went through various neighborhoods shooting
in the air in an attempt to force people into their houses.
There is less gunfire reported from all areas of the capital,
but it remains sporadic. We were told that to maintain
order, senior officers have instructed the soldiers to return
to beatings with their belts, instead of shooting their
weapons.


4. (SBU) On this morning's national radio broadcast, Chief
of Staff of the Armed Forces General Kerfalla Camara thanked
the population for the return to quiet on the fourth day of
Guinea's state of siege. Camara stated that the military
continues to fulfill its duty to reestablish public order and
provide a secure environment. The General regretted the
behavior of certain officers who fired on people against
orders. Camara asked that all citizens who possess arms
obtained during the looting of gendarme and police stations
immediately return the weapons, or face justice, arguing that
in this way, they will pay homage to the victims of the
strike-related violence. On the same broadcast, a military
spokesman claimed that "bandits dressed as military officers"
committed criminal and violent acts. The spokesperson
asserted that the population is "rejoicing in the military
intervention" that has restored calm to their neighborhoods.


5. (SBU) On February 15, Prime Minister Eugene Camara met
with Conakry's mayors, counselors, and neighborhood
administrators. He told them that the reason for the state
of siege is the insecurity in their locales, and called on
them to urge advocate behavior change by local residents.
Camara focused on the vandalizing of police stations and said
it is civic leaders' responsibility to identify the "bandits"
who have weapons and work with security forces to bring them
to justice.


6. (SBU) The airport remains open with multiple
international flights approved by General Kerfalla. The port
remains nominally open, with limited staffing.


7. (SBU) With some exceptions, the situation in the interior
has also calmed in some areas. In Labe, Kankan, and
N'Zerekore, three of Guinea's regional centers, the security
environment is quiet with significantly reduced gunfire. In
all of these cities, the military is fulfilling a police role
as all civilian administrators and officers have fled or are
otherwise hiding. We understand, however, that Pita remains
volatile; military forces refused to escort a gourp of French
in that direction due to concerns over sparking protest
locally.


8. (SBU) The status of Guinea's borders remains dynamic.
The President of the transporters union in N'Zerekore reports
that no goods are going across the border there, but we
understand that on theSierra Leonian border that is
cross-border traffic on a local level.


9. (C) Our contact in Macenta told us the military arrested

CONAKRY 00000184 002 OF 002


thirty heavily armed men who they suspect are ex-combatants
affiliated with ULIMO. These men remain in military custody.
In the diamond mining town of Banankoro in Upper Guinea,
protests on February 15 turned violent when demonstrators
clashed with military officers. Unconfirmed reports are that
one person was killed and two persons severely injured.

--------------
Political Update
--------------

10 (C) Ambassador is meeting this morning with National
Assembly President Sompare, Supreme Court President Sidime
and Economic and Social Council President Kamano.


11. (SBU) The presidents of Guinea's National Assembly,
Supreme Court and Economic and Social Council met February 15
with unions, Patronat, and religious leaders. Serah Rabiatou
Diallo, CNTG General Secretary, attended while Ibrahim
Fofana, USTG General Secretary, did not, although he was
represented. Fofana said that his absence was not a
reflection of the strength of the union coalition, but rather
a sense of insecurity. Union leaders in the interior told us
they are adamantly opposed to the union leaders beginning any
negotiations until Conte lifts the state of siege.


12. (SBU) Mamadou Mansare, Executive Secretary of CNTG, told
us the unions received instructions from the International
Labor Organization to attend the meeting and to proceed with
dialogue. He said that it was at the urging of the embassy
and the international institutions that they went. However,
he reported little substance in the discussions, calling it a
renewal of contact. Rabiatou Diallo requested that the
government lift the state of siege and the military return to
their barracks. Only then, she said, could real negotiations
begin. The unions were asked to return February 17 at 0900;
the military will provide badges to enable them to travel
during the curfew period.


13. (SBU) On national radio, Michel Kamano, President of the
Economic and Social Council, lauded the gathering as a "new,
positive step toward calm and peace and the reconstruction of
our state." He said that it is important for negotiations to
re-start so tat Guinea does not fall into the same pattern of
conflict as its neighbors and other countries with
significant mineral wealth. Kamano and the presidents of the
National Assembly and Supreme Court plan to meet with
political party leaders and civil society representatives on
February 16.


14. (C) Police did not arrest Fode Bangoura, former Minister
of Presidential Affairs, as reported today on some websites.
Bangoura told one of our interlocutors that on February 15 he
responded to a summons from the gendarme headquarters.
Officers questioned Bangoura and gendarmes took the former
minister back to his residence and searched the house and
property for the rest of the afternoon. Bangoura said he did
not know what they were looking for, but claimed they did not
find anything. He was asked to return to the gendarme
station the morning of February 16 for additional
questioning.

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Mission Operations
--------------


15. (SBU) All American staff are at work and the Mission is
operational, albeit with limited staff. We have brought in
selected locally-engaged staff using Mission vehicles to
perform essential functions.


16. (C) EAC met at 1130 to review developments.
MCDONALD