CNDD SHAKES UP COMMUNICATION SECTOR TO IMPROVE PUBLIC

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000708 SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY - ADDING PARA MARKINGS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR ECON EFIN ASEC GV SUBJECT: CNDD SHAKES UP COMMUNICATION SECTOR TO IMPROVE PUBLIC IMAGE ¶1. (U) On November 8, CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara announced several new governmental nominations. The appointments include: --General Advisor to Ministry of Information, Issa Conde. Conde was a former Minister of Information in the previous government. --Director General of Merchant Marines, Mamady Toure. Toure was previously Director of Customs, and is among a core group of CNDD members who trained together before taking power. --Spokesman for CNDD, Louis Auguste Leroy. Leroy was the former Director of the Press for Lansana Conte, and an influential figure in the Conte government. --Director General of National Radio and Television, Alpha Kabinet Doumbouya. Previously the National Director of Information Services, Doumbouya is returning to the same position he held until May 2009. ¶2. (U) Toure was publically dismissed by Dadis in May 2009 for his support of a benefits package for customs personnel. His reappointment is interesting, as he is a close acquaintance of the Minister of Defense, Sekouba Konate. ¶3. (U) Doumbouya will replace Ibrahima Ahmed Barry. It is believed Barry was fired after he allowed the Forces Vives to broadcast their opinions about the negotiations in Ouagadougou on national television. ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT. The appointments serve to illustrate Dadis' dissatisfaction with the government-controlled media's handling of the September 28 violence and subsequent fallout. Several of the new nominees had previously served in the Lansana Conte government and have solid media relations credentials. Dadis brought in seasoned advisors just as the CNDD is set to make its case before international mediator Blaise Compaore in Ouagadougou. END COMMENT. MOLLER