ALGERIA: ELECTIONS NOT ENOUGH IN GUINEA

C O N F I D E N T I A L ALGIERS 000961 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/25/2019 TAGS: PREL PTER PGOV AG GV SUBJECT: ALGERIA: ELECTIONS NOT ENOUGH IN GUINEA Classified By: Ambassador David D. Pearce; reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). (C) Toward the end of an October 17 meeting with Deputy Assistant Secretary for Defense Ambassador Vicki Huddleston on Algeria's view of African security issues (details septel notal),Algerian Minister of State for African and Maghreb Affairs Abdelkader Messahel noted Algeria's deep concern about the crisis in Guinea and revealed that Algerian officials had been in contact with Guinea's opposition leaders. Messahel called the September 28 stadium incident troubling and said it underlined Guinea's ethnic divisions and deeply troubled political system. Messahel argued that holding elections in five to six months would not resolve the crisis. Even a new, democratically elected government would be ill-prepared to cope with the country's ethnic problems and rebuilding government institutions. Messahel said restoring order to Guinea will require the departure of the military and a transition period of five years. Drawing parallels to Portugal after the fall of Salazar in 1974, Messahel said Guinea's political parties should agree on a five-year transition plan for reconstruction after which elections would be held. Algeria, he said, plans to work with ECOWAS to encourage a common West African approach to Guinea and said the issue will be raised at an October 29 heads of state summit in Abuja that will also discuss Zimbabwe. PEARCE