TFGV01: SITREP 48: GUINEA UNREST, FEB. 22, 2007,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000224

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: 02/21/2017
TAGS: PGOV ASEC CASC ELAB PINS AEMR GV
SUBJECT: TFGV01: SITREP 48: GUINEA UNREST, FEB. 22, 2007,
1500 GMT

REF: CONAKRY 215 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) Conakry remains calm, with no security incidents
reported. Deployment of security forces remains at a reduced
level compared to last week. Pedestrian and vehicular
traffic is again at moderate levels. Some small shops are
open while the larger food markets continue to do so through
the back door. The informal market activity necessary to
support the day-to-day living of most Guineans remains the
only economic activity.

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Political Update
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2. (C) On February 21, Prime Minister Eugene Camara presided
over a day-long meeting of the Council for National Defense,
a periodic group representing various ministries, generally
called together in time of crisis. The Council reportedly
decided to extend the state of siege for 12 additional days.
During this period, security forces would make door-to-door
searches for stolen property and individuals associated with
looting and property destruction.


3. (SBU) National radio announced evening of February 21
that the National Assembly would convene on February 23 in
accordance with Article 74 of the constitution related to the
state of siege. (Note: The constitution stipulates that a
state of siege expires after the twelfth day, February 23 in
this case, unless the National Assembly authorizes its
extension for some period). Most Guineans believe that the
state of siege will be extended with little debate and
without forceful opposition.


4. (C) The Ambassador met with Chief of Staff of the Armed
Forces General Kerfalla Camara this morning (reported
septel). The purpose of the meeting was to deliver similar
points made last week with the Prime Minister and other
senior government officials about the need to address
leadership problem head on.


5. (C) Civil society contacts confirm that under the state
of siege, Guineans have been using prayer time at the mosques
to organize, particularly on Fridays. They cautioned us that
if the government extends the state of siege (which they
expected it would),February 23 could be explosive. "There
will be no turning back," they concluded.


6. (SBU) ECOWAS Executive Secretary Chambas and former
Nigerian President Babangida have returned to Conakry.



7. (SBU) Taibou Diallo, a member of the union coalition
executive committee, reported that discussions February 21
between the unions, the patronat, religious leaders, military
representatives, and presidents of the National Assembly,
Supreme Court, and Economic and Social Council, were direct
but surprisingly cordial. When National Assembly President
Sompare again urged the unions to accept Eugene Camara as the
Prime Minister, union leaders responded that they could not
do so, demanding a new prime minister. Camara does not fit
the characteristics agreed upon in the January 27 Memorandum
of Understanding.


8. (C) The unions urged religious leaders to make public
that they had relayed to Conte the demand for a new PM and to
tell the population how the Head of State replied. Feeling
extreme pressure from the grassroots, union leaders want to
be sure that the population at large knows the unions
continue to call for a new PM as their number one demand.
Union leaders have doubted in private that
inter-denominational interlocutors are faithfully relaying
their messages. The Patronat reportedly sided with the
unions in a demand for a new PM.


9. (C) Representatives of the military were present at the
meeting, as they have been since the declaration of the state
of siege but said nothing apart from anodyne introductory
remarks. The meeting closed with Ibrahima Fofana, USTG

CONAKRY 00000224 002 OF 002


General Secretary, stating that Guinea's trade unions would
agree to suspend the general strike at the same time the
government lifted the state of siege and agreed to appoint a
new prime minister. The government interlocutors reportedly
replied that they will take this proposition to Conte and
call another meeting as soon as they have an answer.


10. (C) Leaders of Conte's dominant PUP party are also
planning to make a strong demarche requesting the Head of
State to appoint a new PM. Sekou Konate, General Secretary
of the PUP, told FSN PolAsst that he and Aliou Banire Diallo,
President of the PUP parliamentary group, would lead a
delegation to convince Conte to honor the demands of the
general population, the majority of whom he claimed as PUP
supporters. Konate said that Eugene Camara has been rejected
by the people and does not even enjoy the support of his
native Forest Region. If Conte continues to back Camara, the
already fragile PUP will lose its support base, they said.
Conte's own political party is now making the same demarche
as the unions -- both institutions speaking, from different
angles, on behalf of the majority of Guineans.


11. (C) According to unconfirmed reports, a new government,
under the direction of Prime Minister Eugene Camara, has been
formed but not announced. It is not a government of broad,
national consensus. If these reports are true, the people
will certainly reject the new government just as they
rejected PM Camara.

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Mission Operations
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12. (SBU) The Mission continues relatively normal
operations. The majority of staff is at work. Some staff
members have commented on the uncertainty going into the
weekend, and have made preparations in case they are unable
to come in next week. Emergency Action Committee will meet
February 23 to assess potential weekend developments and our
preparations.


13. (SBU) Consular Section reports a slightly higher level
of American citizen visits and calls from yesterday. Most
service requests are for passport renewals and information
about evacuation, travel, and other options.
MCDONALD