Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CONAKRY152
2008-05-02 11:40:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:  

SYLLAH IN, SYLLAH OUT - WHO RUNS THE PATRONAT?

Tags:  ECON PGOV PREL ELAB ASEC GV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO4073
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0152/01 1231140
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 021140Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2461
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000152 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL ELAB ASEC GV
SUBJECT: SYLLAH IN, SYLLAH OUT - WHO RUNS THE PATRONAT?

REF: CONAKRY 0100

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000152

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/2018
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL ELAB ASEC GV
SUBJECT: SYLLAH IN, SYLLAH OUT - WHO RUNS THE PATRONAT?

REF: CONAKRY 0100

Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D


1. (U) SUMMARY. A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs appointed Mamadou Syllah as the head of the
government's official delegation to the International Labor
Conference in Geneva. On April 26, the MFA retracted the
designation following heavy criticism from the media, the
population, and UN representatives in the country. It is
unclear who is behind either decision, but the incident
suggests continued power plays behind the scenes. END
SUMMARY.

--------------
BACKGROUND
--------------


2. (U) Mamadou Syllah, a highly controversial figure, is
widely seen as one of President Conte's closest associates.
It was the president's decision to release Syllah from jail
where he was being held on charges related to embezzling more
than $22 million, that sparked the nationwide labor strike
and subsequent civil unrest in early 2007. Later in 2007,
the Patronat split into two divisions, one supporting Mamadou
Syllah and the other supporting Yousouff Diallo. The new
director of the National Communications Council (CNC) sent a
letter to the Minister of Communications in April asking the
ministry to identify the legitimate had of the Patronat in
order to avoid confusion in the printed press. Although he
claimed to be non-partisan, the letter was widely perceived
as being biased in favor of Syllah (reftel).

--------------
GOVERNMENT APPOINTS SYLLAH TO HEAD DELEGATION
--------------


3. (U) On April 21, the local internet press reported that
the Minister of Foreign Affairs had named Mamadou Syllah as
the head of the Guinean Government's official delegation to
the International Labor Conference in Geneva in May. The
media characterized the designation as official government
recognition of the Syllah Patronat, thus legitimizing
Syllah's Patronat, as opposed to Yousouff Diallo's, as the
country's only official business association organization.


--------------
AND THEN TAKES IT BACK
--------------


4. (U) However, on April 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs
issued another order retracting the designation. The order
states that the MFA does not have the power or ability to
decide the appropriate representative from the Patronat.

--------------
POLITICS, POLITICS, POLITICS
--------------


5. (C) When the initial order was publicized, the press
reported that National Assembly deputies asked Prime Minister
Kouyate about the designation during a meeting on April 17.
The PM reportedly denied knowing anything about the decree or
the designation. However, the Economic Advisor at the
Ministry of Finance, Roger Milimono, told Econoff on April 23
that the PM was aware of the decision and personally
authorized it. Contact said the PM agreed to the designation
in an effort to try and gain the president's favor, but after
seeing the public reaction, decided to distance himself.


6. (C) Milimono also said that the Minister of Foreign
Affairs was out of the country when the designation was made
even though the order was reportedly signed by the minister
himself. According to Milimono, all of the ministers were
aware of the decision because it was discussed at a Council
of Ministers meeting before it was made public. He added
that the designation is illegal because only a government
official, and usually a minister, can head an official
government delegation.


7. (SBU) During an April 29 meeting with Poloff, union
leader Serah Rabiatou Diallo said that the designation serves
as further evidence that the consensus government is just as
bad as previous governments. She said the government does
not have the right to interfere in a private business
organization and that the head of delegation must be a
government official. Rabiatou also noted that the official
delegation, as initially named, did not include any
government representatives nor any union representatives

CONAKRY 00000152 002 OF 002


despite the fact that the conference focuses on labor issues.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) The motivations behind the designation, as well as
who orchestrated it, remain unclear. As usual, there are
number of rumors circulating with one being that Kouyate
struck a deal with Syllah after President Conte dismissed
Justin Morel Jr. as Minister of Communications. According to
the rumor, Syllah has been acting as an intermediary between
the PM and the president, in exchange for a dismissal of the
criminal case against Syllah. The MFA designation could have
been an extension of this alleged deal. However, the
Patronat is an inherently private organization and considered
one of the pillars of civil society. As such, there should
be no government interference. While the details are
unclear, the fact that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a
public stance in support of Mamadou Syllah, a member of the
president's inner circle, suggest that unidentified
individuals continue to make quiet power plays behind the
scenes. END COMMENT.
CARTER