Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CONAKRY466
2009-08-12 13:16:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Conakry
Cable title:  

ASSAULT OF GHANA'S AMBASSADOR TO GUINEA

Tags:  ASEC PGOV PMIL KDEM GV 
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VZCZCXRO0588
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0466 2241316
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 121316Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3913
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000466 

SIPDIS

FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2029
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PMIL KDEM GV
SUBJECT: ASSAULT OF GHANA'S AMBASSADOR TO GUINEA

Classified By: RSO Philip W. Nazelrod for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000466

SIPDIS

FOR DS/IP/AF, DS/IP/ITA

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2029
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PMIL KDEM GV
SUBJECT: ASSAULT OF GHANA'S AMBASSADOR TO GUINEA

Classified By: RSO Philip W. Nazelrod for reason 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) On August 8, 2009, Ghana,s Ambassador to Guinea was
reportedly briefly kidnapped, robbed, and beaten by three men
wearing Guinean Armed Forces (GAF) uniforms. A victim of
what appears to be a well planned crime, Ambassador Dominic
Aboayje was released by his captors after being beaten and
robbed of everything but his trousers. This event is
significant as it demonstrates the inability of the GOG to
control it,s military as even diplomats have become targets
of not only petty theft, but kidnapping and physical
assaults.


2. (U) On August 8, 2009 at approximately 2230, Ambassador
Aboayje and an unknown female passenger were driving on
Toauyah Road towards downtown Conakry. As their vehicle, a
Toyota Prada with diplomatic (CD) license plates, approached
the intersection with Rue 124, they were involved in a minor
traffic accident. As Aboayje exited the vehicle, he was
grabbed by three men wearing GAF uniforms. After forcibly
removing Aboayje,s female passenger, the three assailants
and Aboayje entered Aboajye,s vehicle and sped off to a
location (named T-6) on the outskirts of Conakry. At T-6,
the assailants beat Abaoyje and robbed him of his vehicle and
personal possessions, abandoning Aboayje with nothing more
than his trousers. Ambassador Aboayje, able to locate a Good
Samaritan who gave him some money, took a taxi to a nearby
police checkpoint in the Lambanyi neighborhood. The police
opened an investigation but have no strong leads or suspects
at this point.


3. (U) ECOWAS Ambassador to Guinea, Edward Aina, told
Charge Brokenshire that the Ambassador of Ghana repeatedly
told his captors that he was a diplomat. Aina, who spoke at
length with Aboayje after the incident, said Aboayje had been
beaten about the face and his eyes were visibly swollen and
bruised.


4. (U) Furthermore, the Spanish Ambassador to Guinea, Jesus
Santos, told Embassy contacts of an incident he was involved
in earlier last week. While traveling in his official
vehicle during the early evening, Santos was stopped by an
unofficial checkpoint near downtown Conakry. Men in GAF
uniforms demanded he give them money and cigarettes in order
to proceed. Santos refused and ordered his driver to leave,
which he did without further incident. As a result,
Ambassador Santos requested four additional security officers
to come to Conakry from Spain. Additionally, France,
according to sources, is considering bringing additional
Gendarme officers from France in an effort to bolster their
embassy,s security profile.


5. (C) COMMENT: Certain elements of the incident suggest
that this crime may have been planned in advance. The
assailants used a tactic reminiscent of a &bump and rob8,
where a lead vehicle stops suddenly causing the target
vehicle (following too close) to stop-short and be rear-ended
by a tail vehicle. The uniformed assailants, waiting for
Aboayje at the accident location, went into action as soon as
the accident occurred. The assault occurred in an area of
Conakry referred to as &Le Petit Lac8. &Le Petit Lac8 is
considered a seedy part of Conakry known for prostitution and
is avoided by most police officers at night due to the
aggressiveness of patrons. Furthermore, it is reported that
some active duty GAF members, after leaving work around 2000,
lend their uniforms to bandits for use during the nighttime
hours. It is unlikely the GOG will capture the assailants
and little is being done to curb the growing criminal
activity. END COMMENT.
BROKENSHIRE