SOUNDS OF SILENCE: QADHAFI TALKS BUT SAYS LITTLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 FREETOWN 000005

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/06/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR LY SL
SUBJECT: SOUNDS OF SILENCE: QADHAFI TALKS BUT SAYS LITTLE

REF: A. 2008 FREETOWN 604

B. 2008 FREETOWN 605

Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (C) Summary: Muammar Qadhafi's unexpected visit to
Freetown ended on January 3, leaving little in his wake
beyond confusion regarding his motivations. Accompanied by an
entourage of 500, including a heavily armed security
detachment, Qadhafi made no public promises of support for
Sierra Leone beyond trumpeting anti-Western rhetoric and his
own interest for an African Union Government. Though received
by many with fanfare and enthusiasm, including the
designation of "Honorary Member of Parliament" - an honor
never before bestowed on a visiting Head of State - his
failure to provide substantial gifts and support appears to
be a considerable disappointment. Though Qadhafi's seemingly
renewed interest in the sub-region since the Guinean coup may
appear to be an opportunity to push an assistance agenda,
President Koroma will likely wait until Libyan intentions are
clearer. End Summary.

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WHY ASK WHY? EVEN QADHAFI DOESN'T SEEM TO KNOW THE ANSWER
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2. (C) Qadhafi's trip to Sierra Leone, arranged with little
notice to the host government (reftels),continues to be
shrouded in mystery even after his departure. Few details
were released regarding his activities in-country, and is
likely rife with misinformation. A diplomatic dinner
celebrating his arrival on January 31 was changed,
unannounced, to a press conference and reception. Diplomats
arriving for what they expected to be a formal dinner were
surprised to find themselves in a standing-room only crowd at
State House, surrounded by suspected pro-Qadhafi audience
"plants" who exuberantly welcomed the Libyan leader upon his
tardy arrival. To open the conference, President Koroma
reminded the audience of his own visit to Libya a short time
after his inauguration, and the many promises made then by
Qadhafi to support Sierra Leone's development. He expressed
his hope that Qadhafi's visit is an indication that those
promises will soon be fulfilled.


3. (C) Qadhafi's subsequent speech failed to address Koroma's
pointed request for assistance. His rambling response focused
on the need for African unity, stating that this is the
richest continent with the poorest people, and that greater
unity would make Africa a stronger voting bloc against such
powers as the U.S., EU, India, and China. His comment that
"you don't need donors, donors need you" garnered
considerable applause, and he enjoyed tremendous popularity
with the crowd until the question and answer period.
Obviously unprepared, Qadhafi fumbled most of the questions
posed to him by journalists. Questioned about what he was
bringing to assist Sierra Leone, he gave a vague and empty
response; some members of the crowd were visibly
disappointed. Asked what he has to show for his decade-long
campaign for African unity, Qadhafi condemned the will of the
African people, which alienated the audience with his
perceived condescension. His primary folly, however, was his
failure to give an adequate answer to the question "What are
you doing in Sierra Leone?". He responded that he would know
the answer once the visit was over. Though it appeared that
his motivation to visit was a mystery even to him, some in
the crowd appeared to find the answer disingenuous.

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ALL I GOT WAS THIS STUPID T-SHIRT: DETRACTORS SPEAK OUT
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4. (C) Despite a hard-working propaganda machine, ensuring
that many of those living on the streets were gifted with
Qadhafi t-shirts and posters, civil society were quick to
counter with reminders of Qadhafi's reported involvement in
the decade-long civil conflict. Many were outraged that
Parliament made him an honorary Member on January 1, asking
why such an honor would be given to a man with Sierra Leonean
blood on his hands. Others framed Qadhafi's reception from
the government as obsequious, scorning their willingness to
host a surprise visit and then "beg" for assistance that had
been promised nearly a year ago. Media reports about the
visit on January 5 included a range of reactions, from
glowing support for Qadhafi's visit to condemnation of his
presence, views, and opaque motivations. Business leaders
queried Ambassador (and likely other diplomats) about
possible motives for Qadhafi's travel to Sierra Leone.

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COMMENT
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5. (C) According to a State House source, Qadhafi departed
Sierra Leone on January 3 to meet with coup leaders in
Conakry. This contradicts previous information indicating
that the purpose of his trip to Sierra Leone was to have a
secure location for meetings with Captain Camara and his
entourage. Though members of Qadhafi's advance team did camp
near the Guinean border, Qadhafi reportedly did not join them
there and had no meetings with members of the regime in
Freetown. His visit yielded little fruit to compensate the
Sierra Leonean government for the logistical nightmare they
faced hosting a state visit with minimal notice, a constantly
changing itinerary, and unclear mission. For a government
desperate for an outside injection of funds and technical
support, Koroma and his compatriots are no doubt disappointed
that Qadhafi failed to respond favorably to requests or make
good on old promises. Despite this, we expect the President
will be careful to mask these feelings until Qadhafi's
interests and intentions with regards to the Guinea situation
are revealed. End Comment.
PERRY