Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07FREETOWN122
2007-02-21 20:32:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Freetown
Cable title:  

TFG01: SIERRA LEONE ISSUES STATEMENT ON GUINEA

Tags:  GV PREL SL LI 
pdf how-to read a cable
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C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000122 

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C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDING SIPDIS CAPTION)

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: GV PREL SL LI
SUBJECT: TFG01: SIERRA LEONE ISSUES STATEMENT ON GUINEA

REF: (A) STATE 19838 (B) FREETOWN 112 (C) CONAKRY 160

Classified By: DCM E. Susie Pratt, Reasons 1.4 B/D

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000122

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C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (ADDING SIPDIS CAPTION)

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/21/2017
TAGS: GV PREL SL LI
SUBJECT: TFG01: SIERRA LEONE ISSUES STATEMENT ON GUINEA

REF: (A) STATE 19838 (B) FREETOWN 112 (C) CONAKRY 160

Classified By: DCM E. Susie Pratt, Reasons 1.4 B/D


1. (C) Summary: Presentation of Ref A demarche requesting a
Sierra Leonean statement on Guinea to President Kabbah's
private secretary on February 20 and to the Director General
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the following day was
overtaken by the Sierra Leonean and Liberian Presidents'
visit to Conakry on February 20. A statement issued by
Kabbah's office on February 21 said that Guinea President
Conte promised the visiting Presidents that he would dialogue
with the labor unions and civil society and offer names for a
new Prime Minister within two weeks. MFA DG Wurie commented
to the Ambassador that Conte is well known for making
promises that he has no intention of keeping as has been the
case in the Yenga dispute between Sierra Leone and Guinea.
End Summary.

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Meeting with the MFA
--------------


2. (C) Ambassador and DCM met with Sierra Leone Ministry of
Foreign Affairs DG Ambassador Umaru Wurie on February 21 to
deliver demarche (Ref A),along with a copy of the February
16 U.S. Press Statement (Ref C) and to inquire about the
result of the joint visit by Sierra Leone President Ahmad
Tejan Kabbah and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to
Guinea to meet with President Conte. Minister Koroma, who
had accompanied them on the visit, was unavailable as he was
departing to do some "politicking" up country with SLPP
Presidential hopeful, Vice President Solomon Berewa.


3. (C) Wurie had not be specifically informed of the outcome
of the meeting, but noted that in accordance with the
demarche request, Sierra Leone was planning to issue a Press
Release on the visit itself. (Note: Embassy Freetown obtained
a copy of the release after the visit. It appears in full.
Para 7, below). Wurie confirmed that Kabbah had returned to
Sierra Leone early in the afternoon of February 20. Wurie
commented that it would be likely that Conte would respond
favorably to their visit, but in the end would pursue his own
agenda. Conte, he said, is "like Charles Taylor" who was

notorious for accepting advice and direction, but "afterwards
doing what he wanted." For example, Wurie pointed out
Conte's failed promises over the Yenga border dispute between
Guinea and Sierra Leone.

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Kabbah's Private Secretary Views on Guinea
--------------


4. (C) On February 20, Ambassador and DCM met over lunch
with Sheka Mansaray, who has been President Kabbah's private
secretary for ten years. During the lunch Ambassador

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delivered Ref A demarche and press statement. At the time of
the meeting, Mansaray was not sure of the specific message
Kabbah and Sirleaf were delivering to Conte that day.
Interestingly, only the day before, Monday, February 19,
Mansaray had told the Ambassador that Kabbah would not go to
Guinea, because the situation "was evolving." Apparently
President Sirleaf changed Kabbah's mind. Mansaray agreed that
it was time for Conte to leave office, echoing Kabbah's views
as reported Ref B. Conte's best option, he said, would be for
a dignified retirement, since he is no longer capable of
governing. He did not think Conte would seek refuge in
another country.


5. (C) In response to the Ambassador's query, Mansaray
confirmed that President Kabbah had met with Aicha Conneh
over the past weekend. He said the subject of that meeting
was closely held and Kabbah was not sharing the contents with
anyone.

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Discussion with Liberian Ambassador to Sierra Leone
-------------- --------------


6. (C) Earlier on February 21, DCM spoke with Liberian
Ambassador Thomas Brima who thought that the Kabbah-Sirleaf
visit to Conte had gone well. He said Conte appeared willing
to listen to requests that he include civil society in a
dialogue to move beyond the current crisis and spoke to him
about the need for change, but did not know whether he would
actually follow that advice. According to the Liberian
Ambassador, neither Kabbah nor Sirleaf (at least publicly)
went so far as to encourage Conte to step down. They did
imply to him, if they did not explicitly say it, that Conte
could no longer govern effectively and should listen to the
legitimate concerns of the Guinean people. The Liberian
Ambassador added that Kabbah and Sirleaf told Conte that
Sierra Leone and Liberia are transforming democratically, and
in the interest of Mano River regional security and growth,
it is time for Guinea to transform itself as well.


7. (U) Late on February 21, The Office of the President
issued a Press Release on the visit. The release, the full
text of which appears below, highlighted a positive outcome
from the "one day consultative summit" with Presidents Conte,
Sirleaf and Kabbah. It underscored Conte's promise to engage
civil society on the way forward and to solicit names for a
new Prime Minister. The release noted that Sirleaf and
Kabbah had promised to uphold the security protocols of the
Mano River Union in the event of incursions into Guinea from
neighboring countries.

Begin Text of Press Release:

Sierra Leone Government Office of the President: Press
Release, Wednesday, 21st February 2007

On Tuesday the 20th of February 2007, President Alhaji Dr.
Ahmad Tejan Kabbah of the Republic of Sierra Leone and
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of the Republic of Liberia
held a one-day consultative Summit with the President of the
Republic of Guinea, General Lansana Conte in Conakry.

It will be recalled that about a month ago, the Trade Union
Movement in the Republic of Guinea called for a strike action
against the Government. That strike action has developed into
an ugly confrontation between Government security forces and
the general public resulting in several deaths.

Although attempts have been made in order to have a peaceful
resolution of the problem, there seems to be an impasse. The
objective of the visit of the two Presidents was therefore to
have a first hand account of the situation in Guinea from
President Lansana Conte and to discuss with him how to
resolve the impasse.

President Lansana Conte expressed gratitude to the visiting
Presidents for the concern expressed by them and for the
offer of assistance to him. He informed them that he had made
efforts to meet part of the demands of the Trade Union
Movement by appointing a new Prime Minister. This however
does not seem to satisfy the Trade Union Movement and hence
the impasse.

Notwithstanding, he however expressed the desire to move the
process forward promising that in two weeks time he would
come up with a new decision to address the impasse.
Meanwhile, he was extending an invitation through the two
Presidents to the Trade Union Movement and the Civil Society
of Guinea to make suggestions on the way forward including
possible names for consideration for the position of a new
Prime Minister, to engage him to reach a decision that will
be acceptable too all Guineans

While President Kabbah was briefing journalists about the
outcome of their visit to Guinea, one of the journalists
enquired about news of further deterioration of security in
the country including possible incursion of rebels from
neighboring countries.

In response, the two Presidents assured the Guinean people of
their readiness at all times to activate and collaborate with
Guinean authorities in the implementation of the Security
Protocols of the Mano River Union in order to maintain
security and preserve the territorial integrity of Guinea and
their own countries.

End text of Press Release.
HULL