HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 CONAKRY 000545 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/10/2019 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL KDEM ASEC GV SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT RISING POLITICAL TENSIONS Classified By: A/DCM SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. A leading human rights activist is concerned about rising political tensions in Guinea, and fears that the country is on the verge of a potentially violent conflict. Commenting extensively on the CNDD's efforts to bolster support, Contact highlighted polarizing tactics focused on encouraging ethnocentrism. A number of Embassy contacts have expressed similar concerns in recent weeks, but most seem to agree that any conflict would be between those seeking to hold on to power and those seeking to get it, rather than conflict tied exclusively to ethnicity. Political tensions remain high in Guinea. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) During a meeting with A/DCM on September 10, local human rights activist Mamady Kaba commented extensively on his growing concern about the potential for violent conflict in Guinea. Kaba is a long-time credible contact of the Embassy's, and a regular participant in the Embassy's monthly Human Rights Working Group. A Malinke, Kaba is closely connected to the Peuhl (Fulani) community. He also has excellent contacts in Senegal as he went to school there. Kaba had just returned from Gabon where he had been sponsored as an election observer. -------------- CNDD RECRUITING "COMBATANTS" -------------- ¶3. (C) According to Kaba, members of the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD) are actively recruiting youths to support CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara especially in the interior of the country. He expressed concern over the CNDD's movement of what he described as "Liberian combatants" from the Forest Region to the capital. Noting that the Forest Region is home to many people who either witnessed or participated in the Sierra Leonian and Liberian wars, Kaba said that these "combatants" are essentially trained mercenaries. (COMMENT. Sensitive reporting has indicated that somewhere between 1000 to 3000 Dadis supporters were brought in from the Forest Region a few weeks ago. This may be the group Kaba was referring to. END COMMENT). ¶4. (C) Aside from the combatants, Kaba said that Sekouba Konate, First Vice President and Minister of Defense, had recently brought back some 400 youths from Upper Guinea. He described these youths as having just finished high school with many of them still awaiting the results of the national exams, which influence if and where students get placed in public universities. Kaba explained that the CNDD plans to keep these youths in civilian attire, but is training them to "fight" other civilians. When asked to clarify, Kaba said the CNDD is anticipating further anti-Dadis demonstrations, but does not want to put the military in a position where it might have to fire on crowds to maintain order. Instead, the CNDD reportedly wants to infiltrate pro-CNDD "combatants" into Conakry who can fight the anticipated anti-CNDD movements. ¶5. (C) Kaba said that any civilian on civilian conflict would likely turn bloody, and that casualties should be expected. "By using civilians, the CNDD can make it look like we are on the brink of civil war, which they can use to their advantage," Kaba said. According to Kaba, Konate plans to recruit more youths to support the CNDD. He added that many people are still willing to go out in the streets to protest against Dadis and his anticipated candidacy, but that they are waiting for after Ramadan, which is expected to end early in the week of September 20. -------------- SUPPORT FOR DADIS IN THE FOREST REGION -------------- ¶6. (C) While in the Forest Region for two weeks a few months ago, Kaba said he was approached by a man named Soriy Haba who was actively organizing some kind of movement to support Dadis. Soriy apparently offered to give Kaba a brand new 4x4 vehicle and some 500 million GnF ($10,000) if he would help launch the movement. Kaba declined. Kaba then met with a local elder (wise person) who told him that Guinea should leave Dadis where he is since God had already put him there and determined that he is the right person to lead Guinea. The elder reportedly said that "all of our youths are ready to go to Conakry to demonstrate our support." When Kaba asked him if he was not worried about civil war, the elder replied that he and the youths are absolutely ready for war CONAKRY 00000545 002 OF 003 if that is what it will take. -------------- HIGH POTENTIAL FOR CONFLICT -------------- ¶7. (C) In response to a question about sentiments within the Peuhl community, Kaba described them as feeling "very excluded" from the current regime. "They think it is their turn (for power) and they are very frustrated," Kaba said. He noted that one young Peuhl had told him "it is clear everyone is against us and we will have to go to war." ¶8. (C) Kaba agreed that most people believe that an ethnic war in Guinea is a far fetched possibility, but said that the country is on the brink of a conflict that may not be strictly ethnic, but could certainly look that way to outsiders. He explained how the anti-Dadis demonstrations are only taking place in predominantly Peuhl neighborhoods (as they also tended to do under the Conte regime). Kaba claimed that former President Conte had a plan to "destroy" these Peuhl neighborhoods in the event that the military proved unable to contain the violence. "I am sure that the plan has not changed just because Conte is no longer there," he commented. "If they destroy these neighborhoods, we could be looking at genocide," Kaba added. ¶9. (C) At the same time, Kaba said the Guinean population as a whole is not really concerned about ethnic tensions. "It is the political leaders who are putting ethnicity in the spotlight, but the average Guinean is not inclined to favor one group over another," Kaba said. Kaba's worries seemed to stem from what he described as Dadis' incompetent and foolish encouragement of ethnocentrism. He commented on how Dadis has blatantly favored Forestiers over other ethnic groups, which is making other ethnic groups nervous. In addition, Dadis has apparently been painting the Peuhls as a group actively plotting to overthrow the Forestiers, which Kaba described as a tactic harkening back to the days of Sekou Toure. ¶10. (C) Kaba emphasized that if conflict breaks out in Guinea, it would not be between ethnic groups per se. Instead, it would be between partisans - those seeking to keep power and those looking to get it. "Because of the way Dadis and the CNDD have been manipulating the situation, such a conflict may look ethnic," Kaba said. ¶11. (C) Turning to divisions within the military, Kaba said that again the divisions are not ethnic, but it is important to note that the Peuhls are underrepresented within the armed forces. At the same time, he said that not all of the Forestiers support Dadis. He specifically mentioned the Tomah, a small tribe from the Forest Region, which is Captain Claude Pivi's (controversial Minister of Presidential Security) ethnic group. "I have good contacts among the Tomah in the military and they are telling me that they will not accept Dadis candidacy," Kaba said. He added that these contacts told him "we put Dadis where he is...if he attempts to betray us, we will kill him." -------------- REGIONAL INFLUENCE -------------- ¶12. (C) According to Kaba, Dadis is also getting bad advice from key heads of state, namely Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade and the King of Morocco. Citing a source "very close to Wade," Kaba said that Wade told Dadis that "western democracy is not a good thing for Guinea" and does not work in Africa. Wade reportedly added that Guinea needs a strong military leader and Dadis is the only person who can keep the country from descending into chaos. As for the King of Morocco, Kaba said that the King was urging Sekouba Konate to support Dadis' candidacy, something he was initially opposed to, using similar arguments. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶13. (C) Kaba is widely respected by both Guineans and expats alike as a clear thinker. He runs a credible NGO and his organization's public declarations are widely read. He may have some bias towards the Peuhls, but he is generally seen as an objective and balanced observer. Kaba is not considered an alarmist, which lends some credibility to his stated concerns. CONAKRY 00000545 003 OF 003 ¶14. (C) In recent weeks, Embassy has been picking up similar threads of concern from a wide range of contacts. There seems to be a sense of a growing divide between the Forestiers and everyone else, which tends to get defined as the Peuhls since they represent the largest ethnic group. Another credible, long-time Embassy contact, El Hadj Diane, who is the Inspector General for the police, told RSO LES that there is a visible fracture between the Forestiers and the other ethnic groups, which he felt would soon lead to violence against the Forestiers. Diane added that a number of Forestiers met privately with Dadis a few days ago in order to ask him not/not to run in order to protect their ethnic group. Most contacts agree that what they are concerned about is not an ethnic conflict, but rather, a possibly imminent struggle for power. The CNDD's tactics seem to be increasingly polarizing, which is cause for concern. Embassy is used to seeing ebbs and flows in political tensions over the past few years in Guinea, but such tensions seem to be particularly high right now. Key underlying variables the Embassy is watching include popular reactions to Dadis' anticipated candidacy and possible breakdowns within the military. END COMMENT. BROKENSHIRE