FORCES VIVES SAYS DADIS SHOULD STEP DOWN AND BE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000614 SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY - REMOVED SENSITIVE CAPTION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL ASEC GV SUBJECT: FORCES VIVES SAYS DADIS SHOULD STEP DOWN AND BE TRIED FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY ¶1. (U) On October 1, the Forces Vives issued a strong statement condemning the CNDD for their actions on September ¶28. In their communique, they accused the CNDD of ordering the military to kill, rape, and humiliate anti-Dadis demonstrators. They directly implicated CNDD president Moussa Dadis Camara, Minister of Defense Sekouba Kounate, and Permanent Secretary of the CNDD Moussa Keita in directing what the Force Vives has been calling "the September 28 massacre." They also named Captain Diakite (Toumba) and Dadis' nephew Theodore Kourouma for their part in "killing and raping civilians in cold blood." ¶2. (U) The communique outlined several of the group's demands for the CNDD including: the immediate return of all bodies taken from the stadium; the relocation of all missing persons; the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained as a result of the September 28 demonstrations; the reparation of all stolen or demolished property; and the provision of medical care to the raped and injured. They also called for ECOWAS, AU and the ICG to immediately deploy peacekeeping forces to Guinea to protect the population against future attacks. ¶3. (U) The communique also called for legal action to be taken against the government in the International Criminal Court for their "crimes against humanity." The authors also demanded the formation of a national council that would work to install a "responsible government" during a transitional phase. Ruling that the government is unfit to lead, the Force Vives closed their communique by asking that all Guineans mobilize against the junta government. "Fifty years of military dictatorship is enough," the statement said, "the people of Guinea will no longer accept it." ¶4. (U) While many have reacted very positively to the Forces Vives strong stance, other Guineans feel that the statement is too strong and inflammatory during these tense times. Some sources believe that Dadis will feel threatened by the Forces Vives' statement and that it may cause unnecessary tension between normal Guineans and their government. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (U) This statement by the Forces Vives is the strongest stance the group has taken to date. In the weeks prior to September 28, the Forces Vives focused mainly on the issue of Dadis' candidacy. The most recent statement shows that the opposition is no longer willing to work with the CNDD and is demanding their immediate resignation. Since Monday, the opposition has seemingly tried to pick up the pieces after the attack and form a unified message. While this stance is not surprising, given military attacks targeted against Forces Vives members, it could very well set a new tone among the opposition and direct the message of possible upcoming demonstrations. The citizens' response highlights the divisions between Guineans on what the next step should be. While some feel that they shouldn't provoke any further violent action by the government, others were ignited by Monday's events. BROKENSHIRE