ETHNIC POLITICS IN GUINEA - HAAL PULAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000607

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2018
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: ETHNIC POLITICS IN GUINEA - HAAL PULAR

REF: A. CONAKRY 0600

B. CONAKRY 0602

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


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. This cable is the third in a series of
reports exploring the role of ethnicity in Guinean politics
(reftels). The leader of Haal Pular, a Peuhl youth
organization, claims to have more than 20,000 members both
within the country and from the Guinean Diaspora. Often
criticized as a divisive organization focused on promoting
exclusively Peuhl interests, Haal Pular has recently been
coming up regularly in the press and in conversations with
other contacts. Poloff,s discussion with the
organization,s leader suggests that Haal Pular is a
significant player in Guinea,s political scene, and
supportive of Prime Minister Souare and opposition leader
Cellou Diallo, both of whom are Peuhls. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Poloff met with Alpha Yagouba Sow, President of
Haal Pular, an ethnically based youth organization
(Peuhl/Fulani) that falls under the umbrella of the Council
of Elders, which includes ethnic organizations from each of
Guinea,s four natural regions. A member of Haal Pular,s
executive bureau also attended the meeting. Alpha Sow is
currently Prime Minister Souare,s &Chief of Protocol8 at
Souare,s private residence. He was unavailable for an
earlier meeting because he was reportedly accompanying the PM
to various events. Later information from other contacts
suggests that some members of Haal Pular are contesting
Sow,s presidency. Sow spoke broken French, and certain
comments throughout the discussion indicate that he may not
have a strong educational background.

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NATION-WIDE ORGANIZATION
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3. (SBU) According to Sow, Haal Pular has offices installed
throughout the country, in each of Guinea,s 33 prefectures.
He said that the organization,s main purpose is to resolve
potential conflicts between regions and ethnic groups. On
the question of membership, Sow said that Haal Pular had
printed 30,000 membership cards about seven months ago, which
they ran out of just a few months after printing. Sow said
that 5,000 cards were distributed in Conakry, 5,000 in the
interior, and 20,000 to Guineans living abroad. Sow said
that Haal Pular had existed in the past, but that they
decided to renew membership after the strikes and civil
unrest of 2007. The president claimed to have members from
all of Guinea,s various ethnic groups, but later
acknowledged that the majority of members are from the Peuhl
ethnic group.


4. (SBU) In response to a question about whether the group
gets involved in politics, Sow was at first confused, and
then said that Haal Pular has nothing to do with politics.
&We get together to discuss youth problems and how to help
youths,8 he said. When pressed, he said that many of the
youth,s problems are political, so the discussion sometimes
becomes more political in nature.

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GUINEA,S ÐNIC PROBLEM8
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5. (SBU) Poloff asked if there is an ethnic problem in
Guinea, to which Sow emphatically replied &yes.8 According
to Sow, he and other members of Haal Pular saw various
political actors using ethnicity to try and manipulate youths
and others during the 2007 strikes, which prompted them to
revitalize their organization once the strikes were over. He
said that Haal Pular is communicating with other youth groups
and that there is &no problem between us.8 Sow added,
however, that relations sometimes become difficult because
people disagree on key issues.


6. (SBU) When asked to explain possible reasons for the
ðnic problem,8 Sow said that tensions revolve around the
grab for power. &There are four groups fighting for power
in Guinea, and that is what it is all about,8 he said,
alluding to the four commonly identified ethnic groups
(Malinke, Peuhl, Sossou, and the Forest tribes). According
to Sow, the government and individual political players are
using ethnicity to manipulate people in order to have access
to power. Sow specifically mentioned former Finance Minister
Kassory Fofana as one of the key political players
distributing money to various groups.

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CONAKRY 00000607 002 OF 002


PRO-SOUARE, PRO-CELLOU, PRO-PEUHL
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7. (SBU) Referring to subtle tensions between Malinkes and
Peuhls, Poloff asked if these issues would influence who
ultimately ends up as president or prime minister. Sow said
that &we need someone who is capable, who can manage the
country.8 He added that the current prime minister, Ahmed
Tidiane Souare (a Peuhl),has proven that he is capable of
being such a leader. Sow said that Souare has fairly
balanced his cabinet among the ethnic groups, and that he has
already proven his abilities. When Poloff asked for an
example of Souare,s success, Sow said that the PM is doing
an excellent job responding to people,s demands for
electricity and water. &I personally went with him when he
delivered transformers to different neighborhoods; the people
were happy,8 he said. &The current government is doing a
good job,8 he added. When asked for further elaboration,
Sow said &I don,t see any problems with this government.8


8. (SBU) Poloff mentioned recent civil protests against the
lack of electricity, noting that most of these demonstrations
involve youths in predominantly Peuhl neighborhoods. Sow
agreed, but said &I know these people; I can call them up in
the middle of a riot and order them to stop if I want to.8


9. (SBU) In response to a question about opposition
political leaders and their support for elections, Sow said
that Alpha Conde, the leader of the predominantly Malinke
Rally for the Guinean People (RPG) party, &cannot win an
election.8 According to Sow, RPG party members are
currently divided with some members supporting Alpha Conde
and others voicing support for former prime minister Lansana
Kouyate (a Malinke).


10. (SBU) Among the major Peuhl political parties, Sow said
that former Prime Minister Cellou Diallo, head of the Union
of Guinean Democratic Forces (UFDG),is clearly a favorite.
He said that Ousmane Bah, leader of the Union for Progress
and Renewal (UPR) has been steadily losing ground to Cellou.
(COMMENT. Cellou Diallo is considered close to Prime
Minister Souare. END COMMENT). Sow added that Cellou stands
a good chance of winning both the legislative and the
presidential elections because he is attractive not only to
the Peuhls, but also to the Soussous of Maritime Guinea. &I
have been working with Bas-Cote (a Soussou youth group) and
am responsible for bringing everyone together,8 he said.

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EXPLAINING THE FISTFIGHT
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11. (SBU) Poloff mentioned a recent brawl between various
youth groups that reportedly involved Haal Pular. Referring
to a loose underground youth movement for reform, Sow said
&they were meeting in my territory and they can not do that
without inviting me.8 He added that he did attend the
meeting in the end, with about 15 youths from his
organization, but that he was not notified of the meeting
until the last minute. According to Sow, the youth groups
wanted to &make trouble.8 He said that he left before the
brawl started, but understood that members of Haal Pular were
involved in the fistfight.

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COMMENT
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12. (C) Sow,s demeanor and general attitude made him seem
like more of a gang leader than a youth leader. He came
across as passionately committed to his personal beliefs, and
narrowly focused on the interests of his own ethnic group.
His organization has been heavily criticized in recent months
for its bias towards the prime minister. Haal Pular has also
been perceived by others as a group for sale to the highest
bidder, and one of the organizations responsible for
underscoring ethnic differences and perpetuating existing
tensions. Sow was clearly pro-Souare, and by extension,
supportive of former Prime Minister Cellou Diallo. Similar
to his Union Mandinge counterparts and their convictions
about Alpha Conde (reftel B),Sow was convinced that the
country,s leading Peuhl candidate would win elections. END
COMMENT.
RASPOLIC