COMPAORE BEWILDERS LOCAL CONTACT GROUP WITH CALL

S E C R E T CONAKRY 000625

SIPDIS

ABUJA FOR MCCULLOUGH; OUGADOUGOU FOR LAEUCHLI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/06/2019
TAGS: PREL PGOV GV
SUBJECT: COMPAORE BEWILDERS LOCAL CONTACT GROUP WITH CALL
FOR POLITICAL DIALOGUE

REF: CONAKRY 624

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i.
Kent C. Brokenshire for Reason 1.4 B/D


1. (S) Summary: President Compaore's call for a resumption
of dialogue between CNDD president Dadis Camara and political
actors struck the Local Contact Group in Conakry as
ill-advised and naive. Compaore made his appeal despite
hearing numerous statements from foreign Chiefs of Missions
arguing that no dialogue is possible following the September
28 massacre and systematic rape of women at the stadium. Two
COMs made clear that Dadis must leave. Compaore's
conciliatory offer of mediation also undercut a pointed US
message delivered the same day directly to Dadis urging his
resignation and departure from Guinea (Reftel). End Summary


2. (U) President of Burkina Faso Blaise Compaore, the
AU/ECOWAS-appointed mediator for Guinea, told the Local
Contact Group on October 5 that he intended to restart
political dialogue between CNDD president Dadis Camara and
the country's political players. The goal of such an
initiative, he said, is to resolve the current political
impasse and eventually open the way for elections. He noted
that dialogue was a necessary element in any durable
resolution. "We must find a common road," he said.


3. (C) To the gathered COMs, Compaore's approach seemed both
naive and futile. The local contact group had attempted such
an approach in January shortly after Dadis seized power, but
had abandoned the strategy by June after it became apparent
that Dadis was not interested in any meaningful political
dialogue that would lead to elections. "This is going back to
square one," quipped the British Ambassador.


4. (C) One after another, the COMs of the nations and
institutions represented in the local group explained to
Compaore that the stadium massacre of September 28 had
completely changed the political dynamic, and so horrified
the population that political dialogue with the junta was no
longer possible. The CNDD has decisively lost whatever
credibility it may have had. The Ambassadors of Spain and
Germany stated that the military was the Guinean public's
greatest enemy, and that Dadis must depart. Their comments
drew wide agreement in the group. The Local Contact Group
will meet October 8 to come up with a common response.


5. (S) The schedule for Compaore's October 5 visit included
two meetings with Dadis, one following Compaore's arrival in
the morning, and one just prior to his departure in the
evening. Between these encounters, Dadis met with DAS William
Fitzgerald who delivered a direct message from the Department
and White House (Reftel) urging Dadis' resignation from
office and departure from the country as the surest means of
assuring an effective transition toward democracy. With
Compaore offering dialogue, and the US demanding departure,
Dadis will likely opt to pursue the former.


6. (U) DAS Fitzgerald cleared on this cable.
BROKENSHIRE