PM DORE APPOINTS A NEW GOVERNMENT

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000102 SENSITIVE SIPDIS C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC GV SUBJECT: PM DORE APPOINTS A NEW GOVERNMENT ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Nearly one month after his appointment as Prime Minister, Jean Marie Dore announced a new 34 person government on February 15 at 2000 hours. The government is comprised of ten political party representatives, ten representatives from civil society, ten from the CNDD, and four from the business community. The ethnic balance of the government includes five ministers of Soussou origin, eight Malinke, six Forestier, eleven Peuhl (Fulani),and four ministers of mixed or minority ethnicity. Political leaders generally support the appointments, despite expressing reservations about certain individuals appointed. Speaking almost in unison, political leaders said that the transition's job is to move elections forward, so arguing over the government's composition would be unproductive. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) The Ministry appointments are as follows: - Minister of Security and Civil Protection - Mamadou "Toto" Camara. Toto served as First Vice President and Minister of Security under Dadis Camara. A Soussou, Camara was initially seen as a close ally of Dadis, but was eventually marginalized by the junta (reftel A). - Minister of Foreign Affairs - Bakary FofQa. Fofana is a Malinke who most recently held the position of (acting) President of the Civil Society Organizations. Fofana was formerly the Program Director for USAID election contractor IFES. - Minister of Public Functions, Administrative Reform, and Employment - Penda Diallo. Penda is a Peuhl who is a member of the executive office of the National Confederation of Guinean workers (CNTG) union, which is headed by current CNT president Rabiatou Diallo. Penda was active in organizing the 2007 union strikes. (reftel B) - Minister of Territorial Administration and Political Affairs (MATAP) - Nawa Damey. Damey is a Mano from the Forest Region of Guinea who has worked in the government since Sekou Toure's presidency. Damey served as the Prefect of Beyla, Siguiri, and Kaerouana as well as the Governor of Boke. Damey was removed from his position as Governor immediately after the December 2008 coup. - Minister of Justice - Siba Lohalamou. Lohalamou, a Guerze from the Forest Region, was appointed as Minister of Justice by Dadis Camara in January, 2009. Lohalamou is widely seen to have been complacent in the allowing the parallel justice system under the CNDD. - Minister of Decentralization and Local Development - Aly Gilbert Ifono. Ifono is a Kissien from Guinea's Forest Region who has taught history at the University of Conakry for a majority of his career. Ifono served a short term as Minister of Art and Culture under the Souare government. - Minister of Energy and Hydroelectric Power - Commandant Mamdou Sande. Sande is from a minority ethnic group in Koundara who served as the Minister of Finance and Economy under the CNDD. During Dadis, presidency, the Ministry of Finance was placed under the direction of the President rather than the PM, and Sande is thought to have facilitated the embezzlement of funds by CNDD members. - Minister of Finance and Economy - Kerfalla Yansane. Yansane, a Soussou, was the Governor of the Central Bank from 1985 to 1996. - Minister of Mines and Geology - Mahmoud Thiam. Thiam, an American citizen, was appointed in this position in January, 2009 by Dadis Camara. Prior to working under the CNDD, Thiam was a vice-president at UBS bank in New York City. Thiam was responsible for facilitating the GOG-Chinese International Fund (CIF) infrastructure deal that provided millions of dollars to the CNDD government. He is thought to be a close ally to Papa Koly Korouma, Claude Pivi, and Dadis Camara. - Minister of Agriculture - Lieutenant-Colonel Keletigui Faro. Faro is a Malinke who previously served as the Secretary General of the Presidency under Dadis Camara. - Minister of Fisheries - Colonel Mamadou Korka Diallo. The Minister of Commerce under the CNDD, Diallo was widely seen as ineffective in his position with Commerce. - Minister of Post Offices, Telecommunications, and New Technologies - Talibe Diallo. Also a Peuhl, Diallo was the Secretary General in the Ministry of Agriculture for several years under the Conte regime. - Minister of Construction and Urban Planning - Mansour Kaba. Kaba, who has lived in South Africa for the majority of the last ten years, is the Malinke leader of the DUIMA political party. - Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation - Zenab Saifon Diallo. Ms. Diallo was appointed to this position in January, 2009. - Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research - Ghandi Tounkara. Tounkara is a Malinke member of Francois Fall,s FUDEC party. Although this is his first government position, Tounkara worked as a commercial and information specialist for the UK Embassy in Guinea for many years. - Minister of Pre-university and Civic Education - Amadou Lelouma Diallo. During the Conte regime, Diallo was the Deputy Director of Conte's PUP party until his resignation in 2005 and subsequent transfer to Sidya Toure's UFR party. - Minister of Technical Education and Professional Training - Mamdou Saliou Bella Diallo. Saliou, a Pediatrician, is a Peuhl member of Cellou Diallo's UFDG party. - Minister of Environment - Georges Gnankoye Delamou. Delamou is a member of Jean Marie Dore's UPG party. This is Delamou's first government position and his background is in the banking sector. - Minister of Public Works - Yamoudou Toure. Toure is a high-ranking member of the USTG workers union. - Minister of Commerce, Industry, and the Promotion of the Private Sector - Mamadou Niare. Niare is a Malinke member who is closely associated with the CNDD. In 1996, Niare was appointed as an advisor to the Office of the Secretary General of Commerce where he remained until 2008 when he was appointed technical advisQ to the PM office. In 2009, Niare became Advisor to the Minister of Commerce in charge of the petroleum sector. - Minister of Health and Public Hygiene - Dr. Ibrahima Sow. During the Conte Presidency, Sow worked as the coordinator of Alpha Conde's RPG party, of which he is still a member. He was also the Deputy of the National Assembly after the first Presidential elections in Guinea. - Minister of Economic Control and Audits - Kerfala Camara. Camara is a Malinke he formerly worked in the debt service department of the Ministry of Finance. - Minister of National Solidarity and the Promotion of Women and Children - Nanfadima Magassouba. Magassouba is of mixed Peuhl/Malinke origin and is the founder of the Guinean Coalition of Women Activists. - Minister of Micro-Finance, the Informal Sector, and Youth Employment - Mariam Beavogui. - Minister of Information - Aboubacar Sylla. - Minister of Tourism and Hotels - Sy Mariame Diallo. Sy is a civil society member who owns one of the largest travel agencies in Guinea. She is also responsible for organizing the Festival de la Guinee every year. - Minister of Literacy and the Promotion of National Languages - El Hadj Bamba Camara. Camara is a Malinke member of the teachers, union. - Minister of Youth and Sports - Thierno Aliou Diaoune. Prior to the formation of the transition government, several rumors circulated within local media that Diaoune would be named as Dore's MATAP minister. Diaoune is the long time director of development NGO "Action Aid." - Minister of Arts and Culture - Fodeba Keira Isto. Isto was the Minister of Youth and Sports under Dadis Camara and was a mobilizing figure among the youth "Dadis doit rester," (Dadis must stay) movement. Isto is thought to be very close to both Dadis and Interim President Sekouba Konate. - Minister of Livestock - Mouctar Diallo. Diallo, a Peuhl, is an influential youth leader who is the president of the NFD party. (NOTE: His appointment to this ill-matched ministry came as a surprise to Diallo and other observers. END NOTE.) - Minister of Transport - Colonel Mathurin Bangoura. A Soussou, Bangoura was the Minister of Telecommunications under the CNDD. - Minister of Guineans Abroad - Lucien Mbendou Guilao. Guilao is of Toma origin from the Forest Region of Guinea and this is his first government position. Guilao previously worked for Total Guinea. - Secretary General of Religious Affairs - Koutoubou Sano. A Malinke Muslim, Sano was appointed to this position in January 2009. - Secretary General of the Government - Sekou Kissing Camara. Camara is thought to be close to Dadis and Konate, and has held this position since the 2008 coup d'etat ¶3. (SBU) Several political leaders have expressed their support for the newly appointed government, highlighting that many of the Dadis "extremists" were not named as ministers. In conversations with EmbOffs, the leaders universally argued that the job of the transition government is to lead Guinea toward elections. As a result, political leaders don't find it necessary to gripe about appointments with which they disagree. ¶4. (SBU) However, in mentioning that the presidential cabinet is to be announced today, many political leaders expressed their concern that CNDD hard-liners could be included into the government through the Office of the President. They also reiterated that the Prime Minister's office must remain in charge of all the ministries, without interference from the Office of the President, in order for the transition to be effective. -------------- COMMENT -------------- ¶5. (SBU) That a government has been appointed is a relief, albeit the numerous delays in forming it. Notably, political leaders, members of the government, and civil society reckoned that Dadis' closest compatriots were stubbornly resisting giving up their mostly ministerial positions. As a result, Emboffs waited expectantly without result of five consecutive nights to hear that the new government had been announced. Though the new government elicited relatively few complaints from political leaders and civil society, the reaction after the President's cabinet is announced presumably later this afternoon, may more accurately predict the support civil society and others will extend to the Konate-Dore interim government. Most observers think the interim President will keep the Dadis hard-liners as members of his Presidential cabinet - close enough to watch and neutralize them. Moller