CONSUMER ORGANIZATION PLANS PROTEST FOR APRIL 10

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000080 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ECON ASEC GV SUBJECT: CONSUMER ORGANIZATION PLANS PROTEST FOR APRIL 10 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. A local NGO for consumer protection is planning a large protest against high prices on April 10, anticipating participation at about 3,000 people. Plans were announced on BBC and the organization has reportedly distributed flyers. However, the umbrella civil society council plans to encourage the organization to cancel the protest for a variety of political reasons. If they decided to cancel, they will need to aggressively communicate that message to the public in order to avoid having people gather anyway. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The Organization for Consumer Protection (OPC),a non-governmental organization established in 2001, is planning to stage a large demonstration in Conakry on April ¶10. In an official notification letter sent to the Minister of Interior on April 4, with copies to the Governor of Conakry and the Mayor of Kaloum, OPC announces its intent to hold a peaceful march between the People's Palace and the Prime Minister's Office. The organization estimates that 3,000 people will participate. ¶3. (SBU) The BBC aired a radio report on April 4 describing the planned event. Flyers have also been reportedly distributed throughout the city, although the Embassy has not actually seen a copy. Local staff report that people are talking about the demonstration in many public venues, including local coffee shops and markets. Some have said that the women who run the many different stalls in the open air markets are planning to participate. ¶4. (SBU) Although the OPC has existed for several years, it is not a well-known organization. The Honorary President, El Hadj Naby Yaya Camara (aged 75 years),is employed by the Economic and Social Council, a government body and one of Guinea's three republican institutions. The OPC's executive bureau includes nine members, but does not have any figures as to its total membership. Pol LES spoke to Camara on April 7 after hearing the BBC radio report. Camara said that he had decided to cancel the demonstration. He pointed out that as a government official, he is prohibited from organizing "anti-government" activity. However, Pol LES spoke with the actual president of the organization, El Hadj Seni Bangoura, on April 8 who indicated that the OPC wanted to proceed with the demonstration, but said that they may have to cancel the event because the government has not answered to the OPC's written notification. ¶5. (SBU) Pol LES also spoke with Naby Diakite who is the official spokesperson for the National Council of Civil Society Organizations (CNOSG). Diakite reportedly said that the CNOSG plans to meet with the OPC at 16:00 on April 8 in order to discuss the planned demonstration. According to Diakite, the CNOSG will encourage the OPC to issue a formal communique postponing the event indefinitely. Diakite told Pol LES that civil society leaders do not want to see the demonstration push through because it will be too difficult to control the parameters, which could result in violence. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Guinean law requires that an organization give three days notice to the government of any planned public demonstrations or protests. The OPC met this requirement, but does not expect to get the government's permission to proceed. Civil society contacts are nervous about going forward with a demonstration if the government has not officially acknowledged the request. If the CNOSG gets what they want this afternoon, the OPC should back down and issue a communique to that effect tomorrow. However, since the event seems to be widely publicized and people generally agree with the theme (protest against high prices),the CNOSG and OPC will need to be aggressive in getting any message of cancellation out to the public. END COMMENT. CARTER