MOROCCAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMENTS ON

S E C R E T RABAT 000377 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/01/2009 TAGS: MO PGOV PREL SUBJECT: MOROCCAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMENTS ON CRISIS IN GUINEA REF: SECSTATE 19838 Classified By: POL/C Craig Karp for Reasons 1.4. (b) and (d) ¶1. (S) Summary: Embassy delivered Reftel demarche to MFA on February 21 PolCouns urged Abdellatif Bendahane, MFA Director of African Affairs to take advantage of any possible GOM influence to resolve the situation. ¶2. (C) On February 26 PolCouns and Poloff followed up with Bendahane, who claimed that Morocco was indeed deeply and constructively involved with the situation in Guinea. ¶3. (S) Bendahane (strictly protect) said he had personally been in contact with President Lansana Conte, who did not appear to show any inclination to cede real power. The MFA received a cable that day from the Moroccan Ambassador to Guinea. ECOWAS is acting as mediator to establish a solution to the crisis. The Moroccan ambassador informed Bendahane that Conte and the opposition unions and civil society have reached an agreement wherein on 27 February President Conte will choose a new prime minister from the following three candidates, who were proposed by the unions and civil society : (1) Mohamed Beavogui, Fonds International de Development Agricole; (2) Lansana Koyate de l,OIF (Francophonie); and (3) Saidou Diallo, Social Security. The strike will also end on 27 February. Bendahane said he had requested a readout from the Moroccan Embassy on what the Prime Minister's exact powers would be. He was suspicious that this would be only a symbolic act that would not satisfy the opposition. According to the Moroccan Ambassador to Guinea, there is no opposition party, only unions. This has complicated the situation. ¶4. (S) Bendahane said he conveyed to President Conte the hopes of the GOM for a peaceful resolution of the Crisis. King Mohammed VI has passed a message to Conte, who owns a house in Morocco, advising the latter that he is welcome to reside in Morocco, but neither asking nor advising him to leave. Bendahane did not think Conte was ready to take up the offer. ¶5. (S) This, he said was in accord with views of the French ,as privately heard during last week's Franco-African meeting in Cannes, the only viable solution to the crisis in Guinea is for President Conte to resign. ****************************************** Visit Embassy Rabat's Classified Website; http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/rabat ****************************************** Riley