UPCOMING AGENDA FOR FORCES VIVES

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000688 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON EFIN GV SUBJECT: UPCOMING AGENDA FOR FORCES VIVES -------------- -------------- GUINEA CLOSED FOR BUSINESS TODAY -------------- -------------- ¶1. The Ville Morte is in effect throughout Guinea today. The majority of businesses are closed, with light pedestrian presence throughout Conakry. Normal business operations will resume October 29, but private banks will remain closed for the remainder of the week. -------------- THE AFRICAN UNION AND A REBUTTAL OF KHADAFI -------------- ¶2. Several political leaders of the Forces Vives will depart October 29 for Abuja to meet with the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS to discuss the situation in Guinea. Among the leaders planning to attend are Alpha Conde (head of the RPG party),Cellou Daleine Diallo (UFDG),Sidya Toure (UFR),and Francoise Fall (FUDEC). A small CNDD delegation will also attend the talks, but the Forces Vives refuse to negotiate with them. ¶3. The meetings with the AU come after an October 23 meeting between the Forces Vives and the Libyan Ambassador to Guinea. The Ambassador reached out to the Forces Vives on behalf of Momar Khadafi, who proposed to mediate the Guinean security talks. The Forces Vives declined this request. They favor the ECOWAS plan with President Compaore of Burkina Faso as the sole mediator. The Forces Vives cited Khadafi's support for the CNDD after the December 2008 coup as rationale for their decision. -------------- MORE STRIKES ON THE HORIZON -------------- ¶4. On November 2, the Forces Vives will meet in Ouagadougou with President Compaore for further discussion. The Political Secretary of the Forces Vives is asking the people of Guinea to form another Ville Morte as an act of solidarity with the efforts of the Forces Vives. The planned ville morte would begin November 2 and last until the meetings finish in Ouagadougou. There is no end date scheduled for these meetings. BROKENSHIRE