PUTSCHISTS ANNOUNCE MEMBERS OF TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000796 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2018 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PMIL ASEC GV SUBJECT: PUTSCHISTS ANNOUNCE MEMBERS OF TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL REF: A. CONAKRY 0787 ¶B. CONAKRY 0788 ¶C. CONAKRY 0793 Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (S) SUMMARY. Coup organizers officially announced the formation of a transitional council on December 23, which includes 32 members. The Council is predominantly military with reported ties to drug kingpin Ousmane Conte. Mutiny leader Claude Pivi is also a member. Civilian contacts are saying that the Council membership is unacceptable. Conakry remains calm, but there have been some incidents of violence. The airport remains open although commercial airlines are independently deciding to cancel or divert flights. The French are reviewing evacuation plans as part of normal operating procedures, but are not currently considering evacuation. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) The situation in Conakry remains relatively calm on December 24 as putschists continue to assert their authority and define a transitional government. However, gunfire could be heard throughout the night, and there were reports of several small businesses being robbed by armed soldiers. A French media source, France24, claimed that the putschists had instituted a curfew between the hours of 19:00 and 06:00. Embassy has not been able to confirm that there is in fact a curfew in place, but military elements did set up various roadblocks throughout the city last night. ¶3. (S) The former Minister of Foreign Affairs (former as in part of the government overthrown by the coup) told DCM that soldiers attacked his vehicle when he was driving home from the People's Palace after a late night meeting. He said that the soldiers beat him up and then stole his cell phone and other valuables. A former Minister of Security, Damba, said that soldiers broke into his home, beat him up to the point of fracturing some bones, and stole valuables. ¶4. (SBU) Conakry International Airport remains open, but commercial airlines have been independently deciding to cancel or divert incoming flights. Air Senegal, Air Mali, Air Maroc, and Brussels Airlines all canceled flights yesterday. Air France is diverting its regularly scheduled December 24 flight to Dakar. (COMMENT. The airport also remained open during the May 2008 military mutiny with commercial airlines making similar decisions over a period of a few days until the security situation became clearer. END COMMENT). ¶5. (S) The French liaison officer to AFRICOM told AFRICOM that the French are currently reviewing their evacuation plans as party of standard contingency planning. The French have not indicated that they are considering evacuations, only that they are reviewing the plans in order to be prepared if the situation escalates. (COMMENT. They did the same thing during the May military mutiny even though they reported at the time that they were not considering evacuations. END COMMENT). ¶6. (S) At approximately 20:00 on December 23, the putschists announced the composition the new National Council for Development and Democracy (CNDD),which included 32 members. Captain Moussa Gadis Camara, a soldier who had received U.S. and German training in the past, and who contacts say is linked to drug kingpin Ousmane Conte, was named as the head of the CNDD. Of the remaining appointees, 25 were military and 6 were civilian. Two other soldiers had received U.S. training in the past. Three soldiers are directly or loosely associated with the 19th Promotion--LTC Mathurin Bangoura, LTC Aboubakar Sidiki "Idi Amin" Camara, and LTC Mamadou Korka Diallo. Two others had purported ties to Ousmane Conte, but contacts have suggested that the number may be higher. The leader of the May military mutiny, Claude Pivi, was also included on the CNDD. ¶7. (S) Civilian contacts have repeatedly expressed their concern to Embassy officers over the composition of the council. Youth leader Thierno Balde, who has been working with the 19th promotion on their coup plans, said that the CNDD is clearly linked to Ousmane Conte. He described them as a group of close friends looking to continue a cronyist government system with little to no interest in civilian rule. Several contacts have said that the ethnic composition of the CNDD is worrisome because Peuhls and Soussous are not adequately represented. A journalist told PD LES that some of the people on the list are refugees from Sierra Leone and Liberia, and therefore, not "real Guineans." CONAKRY 00000796 002 OF 002 ¶8. (U) The morning of December 24, the CNDD issued two additional communiques. In the first one, the CNDD stated that certain generals continue to recognize the National Assembly as a legitimate government institution, demonstrating a lack of respect for the people of Guinea. The spokesperson said that they (these generals) are anticipating the intervention of foreign mercenaries already in Guinea, commenting that such behavior is unworthy of a responsible citizen. In the second communique, the CNDD stated that "taking power was a civic act responding to the will of a distressed people." The CNDD emphasized that it had no ambition to say in power and was only looking to safeguard territorial integrity. The spokesperson stated "We are engaged in organizing elections at the end of December ¶2010. We ask the population not to protest in the streets." ¶9. (SBU) Discussions among the putschists continued this morning. Youth leaders participated in part of the discussions, but were later asked to leave. Further announcements are expected. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶10. (S) There seem to be at least three competing factions within the ranks of the putschists. Details on internal discussions and further analysis will be reported septel. The situation remains uncertain as there is as of yet no clear picture of what shape the new government is going to take. Civilian contacts have indicated that they will ultimately reject the new CNDD if the membership is not changed. END COMMENT. RASPOLIC