LAWLESS SOLDIERS UNCHECKED BY MILITARY JUNTA

C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000440

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/27/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: LAWLESS SOLDIERS UNCHECKED BY MILITARY JUNTA

REF: CONAKRY 433

Classified By: A/DCM J. Brenden Classified for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D)


1. SUMMARY. The security situation in Guinea continues to
deteriorate. The recent beating of the country's second
highest political and military figure at the hands of
enlisted men, points to a broader problem with the army in
general and the Presidential Guard, or red berets in
particular. Soldiers routinely harass, rob, and assault local
citizens without penalty. Gas stations, stores, and private
citizens are caught up in this mayhem nightly. Dadis has
taken no definitive steps to curb these acts perpetrated by
the soldiers. The unwieldy size of the military and notorious
lack of discipline points to increased destabilization as
Guinea moves uncertainly toward elections. End Summary.


2. (C) The destabilizing influence of the military can be
seen in a number of recent incidents. The alleged assault on
the First Vice President and Minister of Security Major
General Toto Camara by Presidential Guard soldiers (reftel),
graphically illustrates the current state of insecurity in
Guinea. Gas stations have been robbed so frequently at night
by men in uniform they have begun to close before nightfall
rather than around 10 p.m. Many robberies go unreported
because the authorities will not react. There are nightly
reports of red berets robbing and beating citizens with
complete impunity. In another story, merchants at the largest
Conakry market, closed shop to protest against the assaults
and robberies routinely committed by men in military
uniform. It has been reported that these may be military
personnel or new recruits/civilians from Camp Alpha YaYa who
are using the uniforms of the red berets.

3. (C) Dadis has not spoken publicly condemning the
activities of the soldiers. In fact he has said that in order
to reform the military the government needs more resources to
provide a better standard of living for them. One of Dadis'
Ministers has publicly encouraged extralegal action by the
population as well. The recently named Minister of High
Crimes, Captain Moussa Tiegboro Camara made an announcement
inviting the population to burn/kill any thieves caught in
the act. In one case he visited a neighborhood in which a
criminal had been beaten to death by a mob. He viewed the
body and praised their work in fighting crime.

4. (C) Dadis continues to expand his Presidential Guard which
indicates that these problems will continue to increase. It
is estimated that the size of the force has tripled in recent
weeks to nearly 1,500 soldiers. Reports say that in order to
join the Guard candidates need only pay a bribe at Camp Alpha
YaYa and show up with an AK-47 which costs about $200 on the
street. Even beyond the red beret, Guinea's military is
roughly 10 times larger than the armed forces of many of its
neighbors, even twice as large as Senegal,s military. The
Guinean military has doubled its troop strength since 2007,
and now stands at 35,000 members. For comparison, an example
of a typical bordering state, Liberia, maintains a military
force of only 2,000.
5.(C) The Minister of Presidential Security Claude Pivi is
the erratic and brutal leader of the Presidential Guard. He
has been implicated in a number of violent incidents
including torture. Reports indicate that he strongly believes
that his body is bulletproof. He hails from the forest region
of Guinea as does Dadis, and a large share of the CNDD
leadership. In recent weeks Pivi has tripled the size of his
force by bringing in Forestiers from military units across
the armed forces. He has also trucked in young recruits
directly from that region. This force holds a strong
allegiance to Pivi, and he protects those under his command
from penalty or arrest. This has brought him into direct
conflict with other high officials in the government. His
force controls the majority of weapons and military equipment
in Conakry.
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COMMENT
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6. (C) Guinea currently stands at a dangerous tipping point
between insecurity and chaos. Observers predict that
elections are unlikely to completely remove the power and
influence of the military from Guinea's political scene.
However, if the international community successfully moves
Dadis to free and fair elections in 2009, international
assistance will likely be available for serious security
sector reform. End Comment.
BROKENSHIRE