LIBERIA TO WORK WITH ECOWAS ON GUINEA ACCORDING TO

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONROVIA 000022 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/08/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV GV LI SUBJECT: LIBERIA TO WORK WITH ECOWAS ON GUINEA ACCORDING TO GOL OFFICIAL REF: STATE 1631 Classified By: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for Reasons 1.4 (b) a nd (d). ¶1. (C) National Security Advisor Dr. Henry Boima Fahnbulleh told Ambassador and Deputy UN SRSG Jordan Ryan January 8 that Liberia fully backs the ECOWAS initiative to press the junta in Guinea to hold elections as soon as practical (he mentioned November 2009 as a likely date) as a "middle way" between those who would want an immediate return to constitutional order and members within the CNDD (especially those dealing with drug traffickers who seem to be "calling the shots") who want to hold on to power as long as possible to consolidate their wealth and positions, and may not accept a November date. ¶2. (C) At the same time, Liberia is in a "delicate position", with its long, porous border with Guinea and cannot do anything to "alarm" the junta. For that reason, Liberia has not attempted to close the border or even reinforce its security forces along the border in order to reassure the Guineans. ¶3. (C) Fahnbulleh discounted reports of LURD ex-combatants being recruited for a militia in Guinea by elements of the CNDD close to LURD, attributing the reports to disinformation by informants backing the Conte family. He said there was no direct evidence of any recruitment going on. ¶4. (C) According to Fahnbulleh, Nigerian President Yar'Adua "detests" Libyan leader Qadhafi's involvement and that his hard line against any military coup was because he did not want his own military to take a lesson from the experiences in Mauritania and Guinea. ¶5. (C) Fahnbulleh believed that Liberia can be of assistance by conveying to the Guineans international community and ECOWAS desire to bring about early elections, and to convince them that actions such as imprisoning former generals will only hurt their cause, so the longer they remain in power, the more isolated they will become. ¶6. (C) In response to the Ambassador, Fahnbulleh said that there was no indication of large movements across the border into Liberia, only the normal flow of traffic. He could not say at that moment who would join President Sirleaf (who is presently in Paris) at the extraordinary ECOWAS summit in Abuja. ¶7. (C) Comment: Fahnbulleh's comments came at the end of a Security Pillar sub-group meeting, and he was responding to a question from the D/SRSG. Also present were the ministers of Justice and Defense and the acting Minister of Internal Affairs. None of them added to Fahnbulleh's comments or contradicted them. Fahnbulleh's comments about Liberia's policy seem to be in line with what we are hearing. President Sirleaf will support an ECOWAS position for early elections, but does not seem to want to use her position as Chair of the Mano River Union to get ahead of ECOWAS. Despite Fahnbulleh's statements to the contrary, the Embassy, through various sources and means, believes there is some low-level recruiting of Liberians in support of the junta. His comments about not adding assets to the border in order not to raise alarm are also rather disingenuous, as the GOL has precious few to send anyway and media reports say the GOL has asked UNMIL to beef up border patrols. Reftel demarche will be conveyed to President Sirleaf before her arrival in Abuja. THOMAS-GREENFIELD