CNDD RECALLS 30 AMBASSADORS FROM KEY DIPLOMATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000262 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/08/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV ASEC GV SUBJECT: CNDD RECALLS 30 AMBASSADORS FROM KEY DIPLOMATIC POSTS Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (U) On May 6, the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) officially recalled 30 Ambassadors from key diplomatic posts. To date, the CNDD has not named any replacement nominations. ¶2. (C) The former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amadou Lamarana Bah, told DCM in a private meeting that the CNDD had been "itching to get its hands on some ambassadorial assignments." He likened the recall to a similar type of "cleansing" of key government positions that Lansana Conte undertook at the beginning of his regime in 1984. Bah commented that the CNDD will likely try to put some CNDD supporters in ambassadorial spots, but that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will strongly recommend assigning experienced career diplomats to high profile posts such as Washington DC, the UN Mission in New York, and key European posts. ¶3. (C) The French and Spanish Ambassadors to Guinea told Charge that they had already been approached by the current Foreign Minister with the names of potential ambassadorial nominees to their respective countries. The Foreign Minister reportedly said he hoped that they could obtain rapid agrement. Our French and Spanish colleagues are reportedly in contact with their home ministries to determine whether or not they would receive a new Guinean Ambassador. ¶4. (C) A source close to the CNDD told Pol/Econ Chief that the recalled Ambassadors had been appointed by former President Conte, and that many of them had been "doing nothing...and were interested only in serving their own interests rather than the interests of the country." Contact stated that Guinea's diplomatic corps is very expensive to maintain and is currently overstaffed with a number of embassies being staffed with 30 to 40 people. Contact claimed that the CNDD intends to further reduce staffing to an average of about 10 diplomats per post, and that the CNDD will soon appoint new Ambassadors. ¶5. (U) Recalled posts include key partners within the donor community as well as strategic regional partners: - Washington D.C. - United Nations (New York) - Brussels and the European Union - Paris - Berlin - Tokyo - Kuala Lumpur - Moscow - Geneva (UN Mission) - London - Rio de Janeiro - Guinea Bissau - Algiers - Freetown - Monrovia - Dakar - Abidjan - Bamako - Libreville - Abuja - Rabat - Tripoli - Pretoria - Addis Ababa - Cairo -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶6. (SBU) For several weeks, contacts have been hinting that the CNDD was looking to restructure the country's diplomatic corps. The fact that the recalled positions were posted in Guinea's key strategic partners suggests that the CNDD may be looking to put in diplomats more sympathetic to the military junta in order to plead their case abroad. Such a restructuring seems inconsistent with the CNDD's stated commitment to a short transition period. It is not clear how many diplomatic posts Guinea has, but thirty ambassadorial posts likely represent a significant percentage. END COMMENT. RASPOLIC