Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CONAKRY470
2008-08-27 15:38:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:
GUINEA PM BALKS AT MEETING SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENT
how-toVZCZCXRO9815 PP RUEHPA DE RUEHRY #0470 2401538 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271538Z AUG 08 FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY TO RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN PRIORITY 0003 RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2857 INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0547 RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE//POLAD/J2/J5//
C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000470
SIPDIS
DEA PARIS FOR HOUSTON, HALEY, HEDRICK
DEA LAGOS FOR GAYE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREF PREL SNAR GV
SUBJECT: GUINEA PM BALKS AT MEETING SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENT
REF: A. CONAKRY 468
B. CONAKRY 445
C. CONAKRY 443
D. FREETOWN 405
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Kent C. Brokenshire for reasons 1.4 B
and D
C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000470
SIPDIS
DEA PARIS FOR HOUSTON, HALEY, HEDRICK
DEA LAGOS FOR GAYE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREF PREL SNAR GV
SUBJECT: GUINEA PM BALKS AT MEETING SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENT
REF: A. CONAKRY 468
B. CONAKRY 445
C. CONAKRY 443
D. FREETOWN 405
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Kent C. Brokenshire for reasons 1.4 B
and D
1. (C) Guinea Prime Minister Tidiane Souare on August 26
declined an offer by Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma to
meet August 28 in Conakry to discuss narcotics trafficking
issues. The refusal comes less than 10 days after the PM
assured Charge and a representative of SL President Koroma
that Guinea would crack down on narcotics activity inside its
borders. The Prime Minister's Office did not provide Charge
with a reason why the meeting could not take place. At the
request of Embassy Freetown and the Sierra Leonean government
(which does not trust its Embassy staff in Conakry),Charge
had been coordinating efforts to bring the two leaders
together
2. (C) It is possible that the PM declined to meet with
Koroma because he was preoccupied with rumors swirling around
Conakry August 26 of his imminent dismissal by President
Conte (Ref A). The Prime Minister might also have been
reluctant to meet with President Koroma because he has not
yet made any visible effort to crack down on narcotics
activity in Guinea. The PM has also not moved to apprehend
known SL narcotics kingpin Gibril Gbessay Kamara who slipped
into Guinea August 12 and is believed to be still hiding in
Conakry. Kamara is of particular interest to the Government
of Sierra Leone. It was his presence in Guinea that prompted
the August 17 meeting between the PM, Charge, and a personal
representative of President Koroma, Abdulla Mustapha, who is
the Director General of Sierra Leone's Central Intelligence
and Security Unit (Ref C).
3. (C) The PM's decision has left Mustapha confused over
Guinea's willingness to press the drug war. In a recent
e-mail to Charge, the SL President's representative
speculated that perhaps someone at the Presidency or Ministry
of Security has put the brakes on the PM's earlier vow to
fight narco trafficking. Whatever the case, putting off the
meeting with Koroma gives the outward appearance that Guinea,
always short on action in drug matters, may be short on talk
as well. We will continue to encourage the GoG to move
decisively against narco traffickers in Guinea.
BROKENSHIRE
SIPDIS
DEA PARIS FOR HOUSTON, HALEY, HEDRICK
DEA LAGOS FOR GAYE
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/27/2018
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREF PREL SNAR GV
SUBJECT: GUINEA PM BALKS AT MEETING SIERRA LEONE PRESIDENT
REF: A. CONAKRY 468
B. CONAKRY 445
C. CONAKRY 443
D. FREETOWN 405
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Kent C. Brokenshire for reasons 1.4 B
and D
1. (C) Guinea Prime Minister Tidiane Souare on August 26
declined an offer by Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma to
meet August 28 in Conakry to discuss narcotics trafficking
issues. The refusal comes less than 10 days after the PM
assured Charge and a representative of SL President Koroma
that Guinea would crack down on narcotics activity inside its
borders. The Prime Minister's Office did not provide Charge
with a reason why the meeting could not take place. At the
request of Embassy Freetown and the Sierra Leonean government
(which does not trust its Embassy staff in Conakry),Charge
had been coordinating efforts to bring the two leaders
together
2. (C) It is possible that the PM declined to meet with
Koroma because he was preoccupied with rumors swirling around
Conakry August 26 of his imminent dismissal by President
Conte (Ref A). The Prime Minister might also have been
reluctant to meet with President Koroma because he has not
yet made any visible effort to crack down on narcotics
activity in Guinea. The PM has also not moved to apprehend
known SL narcotics kingpin Gibril Gbessay Kamara who slipped
into Guinea August 12 and is believed to be still hiding in
Conakry. Kamara is of particular interest to the Government
of Sierra Leone. It was his presence in Guinea that prompted
the August 17 meeting between the PM, Charge, and a personal
representative of President Koroma, Abdulla Mustapha, who is
the Director General of Sierra Leone's Central Intelligence
and Security Unit (Ref C).
3. (C) The PM's decision has left Mustapha confused over
Guinea's willingness to press the drug war. In a recent
e-mail to Charge, the SL President's representative
speculated that perhaps someone at the Presidency or Ministry
of Security has put the brakes on the PM's earlier vow to
fight narco trafficking. Whatever the case, putting off the
meeting with Koroma gives the outward appearance that Guinea,
always short on action in drug matters, may be short on talk
as well. We will continue to encourage the GoG to move
decisively against narco traffickers in Guinea.
BROKENSHIRE