PRESIDENT SIRLEAF ON GUINEA AND NIGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONROVIA 000773 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/20/2019 TAGS: KDEM PGOV PHUM PINS PREL ECOWAS NG GV LI SUBJECT: PRESIDENT SIRLEAF ON GUINEA AND NIGER Classified by: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (SBU) Ambassador called on President Sirleaf on October 19 upon the president's return from the October 17 ECOWAS summit in Abuja and her October 18 visit to Niamey as part of a high level mission. GUINEA -------------- ¶2. (C) Sirleaf said that she has decided to take a stronger, more active stand on Guinea following the horrific September 28 events. Given that Liberia shares a long border with Guinea, she had tried to stay on the margins in order not to provoke a backlash, but could no longer do that after those unspeakable acts by the Guinean military. She said she pushed for a firm ECOWAS stance at the summit, including a UN investigation into the killings. The leaders agreed to push for a timetable for elections, and that Compaore's leadership of the discussions should continue. Nigerian President Yar'Adua has proposed to invite all the Guinean opposition leaders to Abuja for a dialogue to reach a unified position to be followed up by a combined meeting with the military. ¶3. (C) Sirleaf noted that while the border area appears to be quiet, there are credible reports of ex-combatants from Sierra Leone and Liberia crossing the Guinea border to join paramilitary groups formed along ethnic lines. Sirleaf said the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN) is strengthening its response along the border, and the GOL will reissue its warning to Liberians not to cross the border for anything other than normal business. (Note: Despite public announcements by senior BIN officials that staffing at border posts has been intensified, other Embassy reporting indicates that the BIN has so far been unable to augment border posts with sufficient personnel to either staff the official checkpoints continuously or adequately monitor unofficial crossings. End note.) ¶4. (C) Sirleaf also raised concerns about the recent announcement by a Chinese company of plans to invest $7 billion in the Guinean mining sector. She suggested that the U.S. and other UNSC members let the Chinese Ambassador in New York know this was inappropriate timing given international concerns about the situation in Guinea. She noted that Dadis Camara had referred to this announcement as evidence of support for his regime. NIGER -------------- ¶5. (C) Sirleaf said the high-level mission to Niamey did not produce any positive results. They encouraged Tandja not to hold elections and to continue negotiations with the opposition. He replied that the rebel Tuaregs are surrendering their arms and that the people want him. To no avail, they tried to appeal to his sense of posterity, saying that he was one of the founders of ECOWAS principles, so he should not be seen at the first to violate them. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: President Sirleaf appeared tired from the travel, but more likely exhausted from the never-ending accusations of corruption within her administration she has to deal with. (Most recently, allegations have been raised against her Minster of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism). Perhaps her renewed vigor on the international scene will help burnish her image. END COMMENT. ¶7. (U) Conakry minimize considered. THOMAS-GREENFIELD