THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE

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SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/03/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL SL
SUBJECT: THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE
SAME: SL CABINET RESHUFFLE

REF: 08 FREETOWN 524

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


1. (C) Summary: On February 27, the long-anticipated Cabinet
reshuffle was announced, putting an end to months of media
speculation. Government contacts had been reporting possible
reshuffles since before the President's inauguration
anniversary in November (reftel),but Emboffs had been told
that President Koroma was waiting to make an announcement
until all decisions had been finalized, and that weighing
each Minister's performance was a lengthy process. The
reshuffle offered few surprises, with Koroma's noted cronies
remaining in powerful positions, and some of the
underwhelming performers outside his circle transferred to
lesser Ministries or fired. The PMDC party Cabinet members
are reportedly threatening to resign in protest following
their own demotions and the firing of other PMDC ministers.
Civil society groups and members of the opposition party have
already made statements against the reshuffle, arguing that
the Cabinet is now more regionally biased than before,
expressing concern that Koroma fired a female minister, which
reduced women's representation on the Cabinet by a third, and
stating that some of the decisions appear to be political,
rather than performance-driven. These criticisms are
well-founded, but will likely not trouble the President --
the purpose of the reshuffle exercise appears to be one of
smoke and mirrors, designed to demonstrate to the citizens
that the President is a man of action. The reasoning behind
the changes, and the consequences that will likely be their
result, are less important than the act of change itself. An
informal poll of a cross-section of the public and civil
servants revealed that this is an apt hypothesis. End Summary.

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FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES: KOROMA REWARDS LOYALTY
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2. (C) As expected, Koroma kept those known to be close to
him, as well as party stalwarts, in positions of power.
Foreign Minister Zainab Bangura, who has been lambasted in
the press recently due to a perception of inactivity, kept
her position. Defense Minister Palo Conteh, also no stranger
to bad press and controversy, also retained his post. Abdul
Serry-Kamal, though seen as an enemy of the President, will
remain as Attorney-General based on the strength of his
support within the APC party. Other Koroma allies include
Dauda Kamara and Ibrahim Kargbo, who will stay as Ministers
of Internal Affairs and Information, respectively.


3. (C) Other loyal supporters of the President now find
themselves repositioned, but still seated at the Cabinet
table. Haja Afsatu Kabba, former Minister of Energy, now
wears the Marine Resources mantle, replacing the former
minister, Dr. Moses Kapu, who has been too ill in recent
months to serve in his position. Though it was no surprise
that Kabba was removed from Energy, where she presided over
several large, unethical procurements, her move to Marine
Resources shocked some. Detractors worry that she has been
placed in charge of a portfolio that has huge
revenue-generating potential, given her corrupt reputation.
The former Minister of Finance, David Carew, once seemed
especially close to the President. However, recent rumors of
him stealing from the government's coffers likely resulted in
his transfer to the less-esteemed position of Minister of
Trade and Industry. Carew has been replaced by Bank Governor
Samura Kamara, a known ally of the President, while the
former Minister of Trade, Alimamy Koroma, has been relegated
to the Works Ministry. Former Minister of Presidential
Affairs, Alpha Kanu, is now helming the Ministry of Mineral
Resources. This is considered a lucrative ministry, and Kanu
has the requisite experience and the confidence of the
President to steer the sector which appears poised on the
cusp of a resurgence. The former Mineral Resources Minister,
Abu Bakarr Jalloh, was fired outright, likely because of
rumors that he has skimmed significant benefits from recently
negotiated mining concessions.

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DROPPING THE OUTSIDERS AND "UNDERPERFORMERS"
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4. (C) Koroma fired five ministers, including Haja Musu
Kandeh (Ministry of Social Welfare, Gender, and Children's
Affairs),Benjamin Davies (Lands),John Saad (Works),as well
as the previously-mentioned Kapu (Marine Resources) and
Bakarr Jalloh (Mineral Resources). The firings are the
primary cause of controversy surrounding the reshuffle,
because they impacted one of the few women in Cabinet as well
as PMDC representation. With respect to Kandeh, even her

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strong APC ties could not save her from being axed. She was
never known to be close to the President, and her leadership
of the Ministry has yielded no appreciable results. She has
often been criticized by UNICEF for her lack of interest and
action, which probably reached the ears of the President.
Though the Ministry is in many ways incapacitated by a large
mandate and tiny budget, her lack of enthusiasm and drive is
well-documented and has been criticized by many regardless of
their political affiliation. Kandeh's departure is not a
surprise, but what is surprising is that no other women were
brought into the fold. Now only two women sit in the Cabinet,
which is a great disappointment to civil society and women's
political groups.


5. (C) The PMDC has lost considerable ground in this
iteration of the Cabinet. Three of the five fired ministers
-- Davies, Saad, and Kapu -- are PMDC representatives, and
only Soccoh Kabia remains of the original cohort of PMDC
ministers. Kabia, however, has effectively been demoted from
the Ministry of Health to Social Welfare. Though the PMDC has
been losing steam since the local elections in July, 2008,
pundits expected Koroma to maintain the PMDC Cabinet
representation promised to them when they formed the
coalition that ensured Koroma's victory in the Presidential
run-offs in 2007. The press is already circulating rumors
that the PMDC ministers, including Dennis Sandi, Davies'
replacement in the Ministry of Lands, will resign in protest
on March 5. The one PMDC Deputy Minister, Sylvester Hanciles
of Transportation and Aviation, intends to resign as well.


6. (C) Discussions of performance have been given short
shrift since the reshuffle, with the State House press
release that announced the changes failing to address the
reasoning and justification behind them. While Kandeh was a
known underperformer, the other fired Ministers were, by all
accounts, acquitting themselves well in their positions. Saad
in particular was known to be an effective manager, and the
others rarely received bad press. The media is thus reporting
the PMDC oustings as political in nature, designed to make
room for more of Koroma's allies and/or enhance regional
representation from the north, Koroma's stronghold. Post
cannot confirm at this time if rumors of further regionalism
based on these appointments have validity.

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
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7. (C) Little information is currently available on the new
Cabinet members, though post is currently creating their
biographic files. The new Presidential Affairs Minister,
Joseph Koroma, is the country representative of UNIDO. Dr.
Samura Kamara, Minister of Finance, was a former Financial
Secretary within the Ministry, as well as a former World Bank
employee. Ogunlade Davidson, Chairman of the Environmental
Protection Agency and now the Minister of Energy and Water
Resources, is a renowned scientist with particular expertise
in climate change. A former Fulbrighter, he is Head of the
Post-Graduate Department at Fourah Bay College. Dennis Sandi,
Minister of Lands, received his doctorate degree in Germany
and has lectured at Fourah Bay College for the past six
years. Post is gathering information on Sheku Tejan Koroma,
Minister of Health.

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COMMENT
--------------


8. (C) Predicting the cabinet reshuffle has practically been
a national pasttime in recent months, and Koroma could have
ill-afforded to wait much longer before his leadership
credibility was questioned due to what many began to see as a
lack of will to hold his ministers accountable for their
actions and inactions. While he removed one notably
ineffective minister, Haja Musu Kandeh, other ineffective and
even corrupt officials remain in positions of power, such as
Haja Afsatu Kabba and David Carew. Though potentially
Koroma's strongest statement in his selections was the
demotion of Carew to the Ministry of Trade and Industry,
demonstrating that he will go only so far to protect his
friends, he has not taken as firm a stand against corruption
as post would hope to see. Still, his failure to place
disgraced former Minister of Transport and Aviation, Ibrahim
Kemoh Sesay, in a new Cabinet position shows his
understanding that there are limits to political pay-back
(Note: It is possible Kemoh Sesay will receive a new position
once the ongoing cocaine trial, in which he was implicated,
closes. End Note). Post will provide further information
septel, as more details and public reactions become
available. An informal poll of a variety of individuals,

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however, indicated that the majority are happy that Koroma
took action, and are less concerned about the contents of
that action or the possible political ramifications. End
Comment.
PERRY