Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08CONAKRY800
2008-12-29 14:44:00
SECRET
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:  

CHARGE MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF NEW GOVERNMENT

Tags:  PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM ASEC GV 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6061
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0800/01 3641444
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 291444Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3268
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0572
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000800 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CHARGE MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF NEW GOVERNMENT

REF: A. CONAKRY 0787

B. CONAKRY 0788

C. CONAKRY 0789

D. CONAKRY 0793

E. CONAKRY 0796

F. CONAKRY 0797

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

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000800

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/29/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CHARGE MEETS WITH MEMBERS OF NEW GOVERNMENT

REF: A. CONAKRY 0787

B. CONAKRY 0788

C. CONAKRY 0789

D. CONAKRY 0793

E. CONAKRY 0796

F. CONAKRY 0797

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


1. (S) SUMMARY. Charge met with members of Guinea's new
government, the CNDD, on December 27. Vice President Toto
Camara talked about enlarging the CNDD and having it act as
the country's legislative body. Camara discussed an
elections timeline for 2010, but indicated that the CNDD
might be open to holding them earlier. He denied any CNDD
linkages to narco-trafficking. Charge emphasized the
importance of restoring civilian rule through timely
democratic elections and indicated that failure to do so
could put donor assistance programs at risk. A military
liaison officer later reported back that the CNDD wants the
USG to reduce diplomatic pressure, specifically requesting
that they be allowed to deal with problem personalities (such
as mutiny leader Claude Pivi and suspected narco-traffickers)
at their own pace. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) Charge and DATT met with members of Guinea's new
government, the Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD),
on December 27. Brigadier General Toto Camara, who is now
one of two vice presidents as well as the Minister of
Security and Civil Protection, represented the CNDD. He was
accompanied by five members of the so-called 19th promotion,
the group that had been planning this coup for more than
three months. On December 29, a military liaison officer
provided further insights into CNDD concerns. (COMMENT.
Toto Camara is seen by some as a rival to President Moussa
Dadis Camara. Sensitive reporting has suggested that Toto
Camara may be strategizing to peacefully replace President
Camara with someone else, possibly himself. END COMMENT).

--------------
STRUCTURING THE GOVERNMENT
--------------


3. (S) In response to a question about how the government
will function in the coming months, Toto Camara said that
they plan to enlarge the CNDD, thereby allowing for broader
civilian representation. When Charge commented that such a

council may be politically unwieldy, Toto Camara said that
the previous National Assembly had 114 seats and since the
CNDD would likely function as the legislative body, it should
be able to accommodate more members.


4. (S) Charge noted that the USG is concerned that several
CNDD members may be linked to narco-trafficking. Toto Camara
strongly denied any such linkages, asserting that no one on
the Council is in anyway involved in narcotics. (COMMENT.
Some of his CNDD colleagues seemed surprised at Toto Camara's
statement. END COMMENT).

--------------
A TIMELINE FOR ELECTIONS
--------------


5. (S) Turning to elections, Toto Camara said that the CNDD
plans to hold legislative and presidential elections at the
same time. He said that the government had initially set
December 2010 as the target because that was when President
Conte's mandate was scheduled to end. Charge emphasized that
elections in 2010 would be unacceptable for the U.S.
Government, and likely for the rest of the international
community as well. Toto Camara then asked "when should we
have them?" Charge said that she could not tell the
government when to hold elections, but that the expectation
is that they would be held sometime in 2009. At one point,
Toto Camara commented that the voter registration process was
flawed and said that they may need to redo the whole process.


--------------
DONOR FINANCING AT RISK
--------------


6. (SBU) Charge also touched on donor financing, asking
members of the CNDD if they were familiar with some of the
key decisions coming up, specifically mentioning the IMF's
Poverty Reduction Strategy and debt relief under HIPC. Toto
Camara responded in vague terms. Charge emphasized that
unless the CNDD takes certain steps in the immediate term,
the Guinean Government is in danger of losing significant

CONAKRY 00000800 002 OF 002


foreign aid from a wide a range of sources, including the
United States. She also stressed that the CNDD needs to
communicate openly and regularly with the international
community. Toto Camara responded by requesting USG
assistance in facilitating meetings between the G8 and the
CNDD, and then noted that they had already scheduled a
briefing for the international community, which is expected
to take place on December 30. (COMMENT. Charge is hosting a
meeting between the G8 and members of the CNDD later this
evening. END COMMENT).


7. (S) At one point, Toto Camara said that the CNDD intends
to nominate a civilian prime minister, indicating that the
announcement would be made by December 29.

--------------
NOT TOO MUCH PRESSURE PLEASE
--------------


8. (S) A military liaison officer later met with who he
called the "intellectuals" of the CNDD, and passed the
results of his discussions onto the DATT. Contact said that
President Camara is under "extreme duress." He said Camara
is being "driven crazy by all the accusations of
narcotrafficking-links to the CNDD, as well as the
overwhelming "pressures of the office." According to
contact, Lieutenant Colonel "Idi Amin" Camara (a member of
the CNDD associated with the 19th promotion) has been
drafting all of the CNDD's decisions. Contact stressed that
the CNDD "intellectuals" want the USG's support, specifically
asking that we refrain from further condemning the coup, and
that we do not "force them to remove the narcos and
illiterates" from the CNDD. Contact said that the CNDD is
afraid that the situation will quickly become violent if they
have to remove problem personalities from the Council. CNDD
members reportedly told Contact that they "have a plan to
push them out slowly" and will share it with the USG soon.
Contact emphasized that the CNDD was "very concerned about
the U.S. position."

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


9. (S) Toto Camara spoke well and seemed to sincerely want
the political situation to move forward positively. However,
he also seemed disconnected from the interests of the
civilian population and possibly even from some of his CNDD
colleagues, which may be due to his long absence from the
country. Certain comments made by the CNDD suggest that they
are still very much in the process of trying to figure out
how to run things, and may therefore be open to suggestions.
At the same time, they are likely trying to pacify a wide
range of competing interests in order to keep everyone
together. Continued inclusion of suspected narco-traffickers
and problematic personalities such as mutiny leader Claude
Pivi on a governing council is likely to be unacceptable to
many members of the international community, but the CNDD may
be unwilling to budge on this issue. END COMMENT.
RASPOLIC