AMBASSADOR CARTER MEETING WITH GUINEAN PRESIDENCY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000088

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E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/30/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL GV
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR CARTER MEETING WITH GUINEAN PRESIDENCY
SECGEN SAM SOUMAH

REF: A. CONAKRY 1361

B. CONAKRY 0085

Classified By: DCM KENT BROKENSHIRE FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D


1. (C) SUMMARY. In his initial meeting with Ambassador
Carter, Sam Soumah, Secretary General of the Presidency,
commented on Guinea's political situation, economy,
legislative elections, and Hyperdynamics. Although Soumah
emphasized Guinea's high esteem for the United States, he was
guarded in his responses and spoke in vague terms. Often
mentioned by contacts and the Guinean press as one of the key
players within the presidency, Soumah came off as more of a
loyal minion rather than a shrewd strategist. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) On January 30 Ambassador Carter met for an hour with
Sam Mamady Soumah, Secretary General of the Presidency and a
reputed force in the cadre of Old Guard that surrounds
President Conte. Soumah and other members of the president's
inner circle are reportedly responsible for much of the
current tension between the President and Prime Minister.
Dressed in a white traditional boubou and seemingly relaxed
in his spacious but bare air conditioned office at the
presidency, Soumah said the political situation in Guinea was
largely driven by rumor. He said he had met with the
country's political parties, and that he and the political
parties "have a common vision" on the way forward.


3. (C) Soumah did not elaborate on the "common vision" and
seemed to deflect the Ambassador's questions concerning
Guinea's subsidy dependent economy, saying only that the
recent IMF agreement would provide Guinea with some breathing
room. After the Ambassador explained that US policy in Guinea
is based on a three-pronged approach of promoting economic
reform, good governance, and elections, Soumah said he felt
optimistic about elections since both the CENI and the
Minister of Interior and Security had had experience in
previous elections. (Note: All of Guinea's elections since
independence have been considered flawed) Soumah said he
understood the importance of free and fair elections in
improving Guinea's image worldwide and in attracting foreign
investors. He assured the Ambassador that any problems with
the coming legislative elections will likely be due to
incompetence and not malfeasance.


4. (C) Throughout the meeting, Soumah made clear that Guinea
holds the US in the highest esteem. He said that US
assistance during Guinea's border troubles with Liberia in
2001 is something "no Guinean will ever forget," and
emphasized that this is also the view of President Conte.
Echoing a pro-American tone often heard in Guinea, Soumah
added that Guineans "need the US vision and US support. We
need your reassurance. This will give Guinea a chance to
succeed."


5. (C) When the Ambassador turned the discussion to the issue
of offshore oil exploration rights Hyperdynamics and
solicited Soumah's view, the Secretary General said he
traveled to Houston to see for himself if Hyperdynamics was a
legitimate energy company or a shell operation. Satisfied
that the company was legitimate, Soumah said he urged
Hyperdynamics executives to visit Guinea, and even arranged a
meeting between former AF Assistant Secretary Hank Cohen and
President Conte. Soumah added that despite these efforts,
differences remain. He noted that Hyperdynamics hoped to send
a survey vessel into Guinean waters before discussions with
the government, while the GoG insists that the vessel begin
work only after talks have concluded. Soumah did not directly
address what many see as a split in the government over
Hyperdynamics, a split he reportedly widened by actively
playing the role of agent for Hyperdynamics within the
Presidency. In fact, Soumah told the Ambassador that
Hyperdynamics needed to engage with the Ministry of Mines to
resolve its contractual problems since that ministry is the
only GoG authority responsible for hydrocarbon exploration in
the country.


6. (C) Ambassador Carter then shifted to human rights issues,
and asked if the Secretary General had any information on
Lansana Komara, a member of the Rally for the People Guinean
(RPG) opposition party who was reportedly arrested several
weeks ago (reftels). The Ambassador said that since Komara's
arrest, his family has had no news as to his whereabouts, and
there is no indication that any charges have been placed
against him. Soumah said he was not aware of the case, which
has been featured in the Guinean press, but that he would
make inquiries. The Ambassador said he would provide the
Secretary General with a letter outlining further details of

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this case to facilitate his inquiries.


7. (C) Turning to military matters, Soumah said he had
instructed Guinea's ambassador to Washington to discuss with
the U.S. military ways in which both countries could
cooperate to modernize Guinea's army and make it more
professional. The Ambassador stated that the U.S. has
military education programs that could assist Guinea play a
greater role in ECOWAS.

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COMMENT
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8. (C) Throughout the meeting, Soumah appeared ill at ease
and unsure of what to say at times. His contradictory
statements that the CENI and Interior Ministry were
experienced in hosting elections but that any possible
problems would be due to incompetence were just one
indication of Soumah's lack of intellectual depth. His
comments regarding Hyperdynamics, particularly that the firm
must engage the Ministry of Mines, were surprising given his
efforts to ram this contract through the presidency despite
GoG opposition to it. Though Soumah's name comes up
frequently as one of the key political and economic
manipulators within the presidency, he did not appear to be
the keen strategist that other contacts make him out to be.
Soumah is likely corrupt and party to much of the
machinations of the presidency, but he came off in this
initial meeting more as a venal follower rather than a
conspiring leader. END COMMENT.
CARTER