SITREP NO. 27: GUINEA GENERAL STRIKE, JAN. 27,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000090

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2017
TAGS: PGOV ELAB ASEC CASC PINS AEMR EAID GV
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 27: GUINEA GENERAL STRIKE, JAN. 27,
1200 GMT

REF: CONAKRY 88 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Julie Winn. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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SITUATION ON THE GROUND
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1. (C) Conakry is quiet morning of January 27. The general
strike nominally continues, as ordered by the union
leadership, but we are seeing traffic patterns approaching
normal for a Saturday. There are more private vehicles and
taxis, as well as a handful of fuel trucks heading for the
port to fill up. Many shops and vendors are open, although
no large stores have yet opened their front doors. While
conditions have relaxed somewhat each weekend since the
strike began January 10, they are closer to normal today than
over the last two weeks.

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POLITICAL UPDATE
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2. (C) Yesterday evening, January 26, President Lansana
Conte reportedly agreed to appoint a prime minister with "the
delegated authorities" of a head of government. We
understand he has not/not yet signed any document containing
this agreement. Negotiations on the unions' demands
reconvened at 1100 hours today at the Palais du People. Both
union and government representatives expect to sign an
agreement today, but it is not yet clear what the content
will be. Senior union leaders say they will suspend the
strike thereafter, although some union figures have declared
they want to see concrete progress in the negotiations on
their other, primarily economic, demands first. The question
of who will serve as the prime minister is also unresolved.
We continue to believe that this deal is not yet done.


3. (C) Late afternoon reports on January 26 suggested that
negotiations over the unions' primary political demand, a
prime minister as head of government with broad executive
powers, had hit a wall. The unions, having briefed their
increasingly radicalized membership mid-day, were hard-over
that the prime minister must also have the title of head of
government. As the day's session began around 1630 hours,
labor reps waved a copy of a letter from the public
prosecutor announcing an investigation into whether they had
broken the laws against personally attacking the president
and organizing a non-authorized public demonstration. Union
leaders expressed outrage that they were being accused of
fomenting unrest that had resulted in death and property
damages, insisting it was they who were trying to protect the
greater population. They asked how they could maintain faith
in the negotiations when some in authority were undermining
them. Their government and religious interlocutors took that
letter and the draft terms of reference and went to consult
with Conte.


4. (C) First Lady Henriette Conte was reportedly asked to
smooth the road for the delegation, insisting that her
husband make some concessions. Our sources confirmed that
during the meeting Conte stated that he agrees, in principle,
to appoint a prime minister as head of government. Conte
asked the government and religious leaders to leave the
documents with him -- he would study them closely and sign
after receiving proposed names and choosing an individual as
prime minister. Subsequently, it was announced on the
evening news that Conte had agreed to the formulation in para

2.


5. (C) Unions and the population greeted the news with
excitement. Although it was not in fact the case, the
general public understood that Conte signed a decree formally
creating a position of prime minister as head of government
and that the strike would end. However, union leaders are
not yet claiming victory. Amadou Diallo, the number two at
CNTG, told Poloff on January 27, "It is too early for
celebration. Although we have climbed the highest hurdle,
this battle is not over." Diallo said that while
negotiations continue on several points, they plan to sign an
memorandum of understanding today. Diallo told us he had no
idea who would sign for the government, as they remain
divided without a recognized leader. He said the unions do
not expect Conte to sign.


CONAKRY 00000090 002 OF 002



6. (C) Rabiatou Serah Diallo called Poloff the morning of
January 27 to thank the Embassy for "moral support" during
the strike. She said they would never have gotten this far
without it. When asked about the next step, Rabiatou Diallo
said, "The people are tired. We plan to sign an agreement
today to avoid any additional bloodshed." The unions
indicated their willingness to suspend the strike,
recognizing that if the government does not adhere to its
agreement, they can resume striking. In sum, they appear to
be ready to put an end to this chapter.


7. (C) It is unclear how long it will take for Conte to name
a prime minister. Progress on the unions political and
economic demands still depends on Conte's will to sign and
then allow any decision to be implemented. All actors
recognize they have been burned before and that Conte has
demonstrated a recent penchant for making and then
overturning his own decisions. Should this agreement not be
all it seems on the surface or should it fall apart, the
dismay will be all the greater for the hopes that were
raised.

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SECURITY POSTURE
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8. (C) Post management determined late afternoon January 26
that conditions were calm enough to permit a modified
standfast posture for the weekend. Employees and their
families may leave their residences, exercising caution, to
restock and to visit friends.


9. (C) Ambassador, DCM, conoffs and RSO met with wardens at
1100 hours on January 27 to review the political and security
situations. About 20 wardens attended.

10, (C) Regional Survey Team (RST),already en route to post
(see Sitrep 24),will arrive late this afternoon.
MCDONALD