Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LOME159
2007-02-22 17:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Lome
Cable title:
DEMARCHE ON THE CRISIS IN GUINEA: TOGO
how-toVZCZCXRO5253 OO RUEHMA RUEHPA DE RUEHPC #0159 0531733 ZNR UUUUU ZZH O 221733Z FEB 07 FM AMEMBASSY LOME TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7791 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
UNCLAS LOME 000159
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PARIS FOR GREG D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH PGOV PREL TO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON THE CRISIS IN GUINEA: TOGO
REF: STATE 19838
UNCLAS LOME 000159
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PARIS FOR GREG D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH PGOV PREL TO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON THE CRISIS IN GUINEA: TOGO
REF: STATE 19838
1. Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Zarifou Ayeva
February 22 to discuss the crisis in Guinea and left a French
version of Embassy Conakry's press statement. Ambassador
encouraged Togo to use its influence within ECOWAS to press
for an end to the State of Siege and a permanent resolution
of the crisis within Guinea's constitutional framework.
2. Ayeva was receptive to our demarche, explaining that
while Togo is not directly impacted by events in Guinea,
there are many long-time Togolese expatriates residing in
Guinea who moved there to fill the skills shortage when Sekou
Toure broke with France. He described the crisis as
multi-dimensional (institutional, political, economic,
social, and ethnic) and thus not susceptible to a quick fix.
3. Ayeva characterized the government's State of Siege as a
"grave error," in that it excluded key voices that could
contribute to a solution and increased the pressure on an
impoverished population whose day-to-day livelihood depends
on its ability to circulate. He noted that a topic of
discussion on the margins of last week's Franco-African
summit was that the evacuation of western expatriates, while
understandable, had been an added psychological blow to the
population.
DUNN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
PARIS FOR GREG D'ELIA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: GH PGOV PREL TO
SUBJECT: DEMARCHE ON THE CRISIS IN GUINEA: TOGO
REF: STATE 19838
1. Ambassador met with Foreign Minister Zarifou Ayeva
February 22 to discuss the crisis in Guinea and left a French
version of Embassy Conakry's press statement. Ambassador
encouraged Togo to use its influence within ECOWAS to press
for an end to the State of Siege and a permanent resolution
of the crisis within Guinea's constitutional framework.
2. Ayeva was receptive to our demarche, explaining that
while Togo is not directly impacted by events in Guinea,
there are many long-time Togolese expatriates residing in
Guinea who moved there to fill the skills shortage when Sekou
Toure broke with France. He described the crisis as
multi-dimensional (institutional, political, economic,
social, and ethnic) and thus not susceptible to a quick fix.
3. Ayeva characterized the government's State of Siege as a
"grave error," in that it excluded key voices that could
contribute to a solution and increased the pressure on an
impoverished population whose day-to-day livelihood depends
on its ability to circulate. He noted that a topic of
discussion on the margins of last week's Franco-African
summit was that the evacuation of western expatriates, while
understandable, had been an added psychological blow to the
population.
DUNN