DEAN OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA DISCUSSES CNDD AND WORRIES ABOUT

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000066


STATE FOR AF/PDPA
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
CIA WASHINGTONDC
DIA WASHINGTONDC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO KDEM XY GV
SUBJECT: DEAN OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA DISCUSSES CNDD AND WORRIES ABOUT
PIVI

REF: CONAKRY 000839


1. Summary: PAO and the LES press assistant met the Director
General of Le Lynx/La Lance January 13 to discuss the coup d'etat
and the implications for the independent media. Souleymane Diallo
said that for the moment the CNDD does not pose a threat to the free
press. He would rather have the CNDD than Conte's constitutional
successor Sompare running the government. However, he expressed
great concern over the appointment of Claude Pivi to the cabinet,
and worried about retaliation for a story he published about Pivi.
He was also concerned about the treatment of the press during the
visit of Senegalese President Wade, the recent shake-up at the CNC
and the need to hold elections soon. End summary.


2. Diallo said that the CNDD does not pose a threat to the media,
at least for the time being. However, he called Claude Pivi the
"executioner" of the media and was clearly worried about Pivi
retaliating for a story La Lance published about the brutal torture
of five Cameroonians and one Guinean by Pivi and his entourage. The
paper featured graphic front-page photos of the wounds sustained by
the victims. Diallo said Pivi has threatened on numerous occasions
to get his revenge on Le Lynx/La Lance. Pivi did not threaten
Diallo directly, but Diallo believes he could destroy the newsroom
facilities of Le Lynx/La Lance. (Note: Prior to the coup, Pivi sent
his henchmen to seize copies of La Lance after they published a
front page picture of President Conte that suggested he was in
ill-health. Conte died a few days later.)


3. Diallo noted that, thus far, the CNDD has not posed a threat to
the media, but neither has it opened its doors. He noted the recent
visit of Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, where the independent
media was shut out of the room where the meeting between Wade and
the CNDD took place. The government-controlled media was allowed
access. However, Diallo praised the CNDD for taking action after one
of their own tried to seize control of the CNC. Diallo noted that
the perpetrators of the seizure, Richard Kamano and Siaka Kouyat,
are still under arrest. See reftel.


4. Diallo expressed his support for the coup, even though it is
illegal. He would prefer the coup to the leadership of former
President of the National Assembly Sompare and constitutional
successor to President Conte. Diallo disparaged Sompare, even
though he said he knew him well. He did not believe Sompare was
qualified to be president. He said that Sompare relied heavily on
marabous-traditional African spiritualists, who told him that he
needed to hire more women at the National Assembly. This, according
to Diallo, is why there were so many young women working at the
National Assembly when Conte died.


5. While Diallo expressed support for the coup, his opinion of the
CNDD was more guarded. He noted that Dadis Camara expresses the
concerns of many Guineans, but he wonders whether he will be able to
come up with solutions to the problems facing Guinea. Diallo noted
that he does not know Dadis personally, but some of his journalists
do. He questions Dadis's commitment to combat corruption and
narco-trafficking given his prior assignment as head of the fuel
depot for the military and his close ties to Ousmane Conte, the
former President's son.


6. Diallo hopes that civil society and the political parties will
join together to push the CNDD out of power. Otherwise, Guinea will
face another long period of military rule. He also encouraged the
U.S. to use its influence to pressure the CNDD to hold free and fair
elections, and to help restructure the CENI.


7. Comment: Diallo's cautious attitude towards the CNDD is
understandable, particularly considering the threat posed by Pivi.
It will likely be reflected by other independent media in Guinea.
When asked whether the independent press would continue to express
itself freely, or exercise prior restraint during the period of the
junta, Diallo suggested the latter would be more likely. The threat
from Pivi is significant and is not limited to Le Lynx/La Lance.
Other journals have written unflattering articles about him. In
addition to seizing copies of La Lance, Pivi seized copies of Les
Echos de Guinee when it published an article saying Pivi missed his
opportunity to seize power during the military mutiny in May 2008.
Le Lynx/La Lance is the largest and one of the most respected
independent newspaper group in Guinea, and Diallo is the head of
OGUIDEM, an organization that promotes ethics in the media. An
attack on him or his newspaper would send a deep chill throughout
the independent press in Guinea. End comment.

RASPOLIC