FOREIGN MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR AUGUST 22 MEETING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000578 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019 TAGS: PREL KDEM PGOV ASEC GV SUBJECT: FOREIGN MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR AUGUST 22 MEETING REF: CONAKRY 0493 Classified By: A/DCM SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The Guinean Minister of Foreign Affairs formally apologized to A/DCM for the strained meeting of August 22 (reftel). He reiterated the GoG's position, emphasizing that the issue of Dadis' candidacy will be a sovereign decision. A/DCM explained the USG's policy position, noting that the opportunity for continued dialogue is critically important. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) Following a broad meeting with the diplomatic corps to address security concerns (septel),Guinean Foreign Minister Luoua met privately with A/DCM on September 18. During A/DCM's last meeting with Luoua, the Minister criticized USG policy and unprofessionally reprimanded the Embassy for failing to accurately convey the Guinean reality to Washington (reftel). The Embassy later sent a diplomatic note to formally lodge a complaint about how the meeting was conducted. ¶3. (C) The Minister clearly wanted to offer an apology to A/DCM, although he seemed ill at ease and some of his statements did not ring true. Luoua said he absolutely understood that the Embassy is an extension of the U.S. Department of State, but that the Embassy's policy statement "infuriated" the GoG because it suggested that the Embassy was not accurately representing developments in Guinea to Washington. ¶4. (C) Louoa emphasized that the United States is one of Guinea's most important partners, which is why the GoG found our policy statement particularly troubling. "We absolutely need the United States on our side and it is important that we understand each other," he said. ¶5. (C) He spent several minutes explaining how difficult Guinea's situation is, and how concerned the CNDD is about the precarious position Guinea finds itself in. At one point, Minister Luoua said that this is one of the reasons many Guineans feel that CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara is the only person who can keep the country from falling apart. "Whether or not Dadis presents himself as a candidate will absolutely be a sovereign decision," the Minister said. ¶6. (C) Luoua then pointed out that Dadis had essentially announced his candidacy to members of the ICG-G during the last meeting in Conakry, but had yet to make a formal announcement to the general population. He suggested that �00A;Dadis is holding back because the entire government is trying to figure out how best to manage the situation. The Minister did not seem to be implying that Dadis had no intention of running, but rather that potential opposition to his candidacy could destabilize the country. Luoua was clearly supportive of Dadis. ¶7. (C) A/DCM accepted the apology, noting that policy disagreements between nations are at time unavoidable. However, she emphasized that in such instances, the opportunity for dialogue is all the more important. A/DCM pointed out that the Minister is the Embassy's primary interlocutor when it comes to explaining U.S. foreign policy as the USG currently does not meet with the CNDD. The Minister acknowledged this statement with a request for the USG to consider opening direct communication with the CNDD, noting that other Embassies have met directly with Dadis. ¶8. (C) With respect to Dadis' possible candidacy, A/DCM explained that the USG's position on this issue is a reflection of our overall policy of support for democratic processes, which has been the cornerstone of our foreign policy in Guinea for years. She underscored the USG's neutrality, stating that the question of Dadis' candidacy is not an issue of saying one citizen can run while another cannot. Rather, it is the fact that the candidacy of someone who seized power under force of arms would necessarily undermine the democratic process. ¶9. (SBU) The meeting ended cordially with the Minister thanking A/DCM for the exchange. The Minister is traveling this weekend to represent Guinea at the United Nations General Assembly meeting, as well as at the meeting of the International Contact Group on Guinea, which will be held on the margins of UNGA on September 22. -------------- COMMENT -------------- CONAKRY 00000578 002 OF 002 ¶10. (C) The Minister genuinely seemed to want to mend fences, although this desire was probably more of a reflection of the GoG's need to win friends rather than any sincere feeling of remorse. It was clear that Luoua's initial reaction had not changed, although he did tone down the message. Some of his comments suggested that the GoG may have got ahead of itself in condemning the USG's policy position so brusquely, thinking that the rest of the international community would not take such a hardline. Subsequent statements by France, and the general tone of the last International Contact Group meeting, likely demonstrated that the international community is united on several fronts. In any case, the apology did much to mend relationships that have felt strained in recent weeks. END COMMENT. BROKENSHIRE