GUINEA: REQUEST TO LIFT ORDERED DEPARTURE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000386 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS FROM THE CHARGE D'AFFAIRES DEPT FOR M, AF/W, AF/EX, CA/OCS, DS/CC, DS/IP/AF PLEASE PASS ALSO TO PEACE CORPS AND AID/AA/AF E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC CASC PREL PINR AMGT GV SUBJECT: GUINEA: REQUEST TO LIFT ORDERED DEPARTURE REF: A. STATE 37763 ¶B. CONAKRY 348 ¶C. CONAKRY 370 ¶1. (SBU) I would like to request that Ordered Departure for Eligible Family Members be lifted effective April 10, 2007, i.e., 15 days ahead of the current 30-day deadline of April ¶25. Ambassador McDonald is aware of and concurs in this request. ¶2. (SBU) Per Ref A, the Under Secretary for Management extended Ordered Departure for EFMs for 30 days from March 26 to April 25, 2007. The action followed Mission's submission March 23 of Ref B, in which we stated that we could not at that time recommend an end to Ordered Departure status. We noted, however, that we expected President Lansana Conte to issue a decree naming a new government soon, and that if he named a government acceptable to the Guinean public, we would explore lifting Ordered Departure prior to the end of the next 30-day extension. Per Ref C, President Conte approved a new government evening of March 28. On April 2, post Emergency Action Committee (EAC) met to review state of play. ¶3. (SBU) Public reaction to the names has been positive. Recently named Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate consulted extensively before finalizing the roster Conte approved. A key popular demand, that no member of the former government be retained, has been met. Guineans largely assess this as evidence that Kouyate was able to convince Conte when the latter would have preferred to retain some of his former supporters. Senior union officials were selected for two ministerial posts. Civil society leaders specifically opted out of membership in the government but have greeted the naming of the new team favorably. The Guinean population is calm and looking forward now to seeing the new government translate into action their commitment to implement clean and effective governance; they will give the new team some time to make progress. Kouyate has already issued several "instructions" aimed at curbing corrupt practices including diversion of public funds and assets. ¶4. (SBU) As discussed Ref B, the security situation has been calm since February 25, when ECOWAS brokered the deal that led to President Conte's agreement to name a Prime Minister/Head of Government agreeable to the unions and civil society, to grant that person broad delegated powers, and to approve a cabinet of broad consensus. Life in the capital has returned to its usual patterns. Fuel and food are readily available, stores and businesses are open, and schools, including the International School of Conakry and the French Lycee, have resumed classes. American and local employees come to work as usual and without incident. The last week did see some student unrest at the universities in Labe and Kankan, in the interior, but these incidents resulted directly from dissatisfaction with university management. ¶5. (SBU) My assessment is that the climate permits our EFMs to return to post. Accordingly, I request that Ordered Departure be lifted effective April 10 so that those family members who wish to do so may come back to Conakry. WINN