SIRLEAF PLEASED WITH MEETINGS IN OUAGADOUGOU WITH DADIS AND

C O N F I D E N T I A L MONROVIA 000080

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/19/2020
TAGS: PREL ASEC GV LI
SUBJECT: SIRLEAF PLEASED WITH MEETINGS IN OUAGADOUGOU WITH DADIS AND
KONATE

REF: A) OUAGADOUGOU 22
B) RABAT 22
C) CONAKRY 44

Classified by: Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield for Reasons 1.4
(b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: President Sirleaf, accompanied by Minister of
Defense Brownie Sumakai and Minister of State Edward McClain,
traveled to Ouagadougou January 17 and 18 to meet with President
Blaise Compaore, Camara Dadis, Sekouba Konate, and ECOWAS President
Ibrahim Chambas. Sirleaf told Ambassador that Compaore had "done
well" in negotiating an agreement between Dadis and Konate that will
allow for a six month transition led by Konate. Dadis accepted the
agreement grudgingly and agreed to issue a statement saying that he
needed time to recuperate and that Konate would be in charge.
Konate, for his part, expressed frustration and threatened to quit
but finally was convinced to continue. ECOWAS agreed to accompany
Konate upon his return to Guinea along with the Special Envoy
appointed by Compaore. Sirleaf apparently agreed to work with the
international community to find a final abode for Dadis and to
discourage efforts to indict him. She expressed satisfaction and
relief with the results of the negotiation. End Summary.


2. (C) Ambassador met with President Sirleaf on January 18 to get a
read out of the President's two-day trip to Ouagadougou. Sirleaf
had an over two hour meeting with Dadis where she encouraged him to
sign the accord negotiated by Compaore. She told him he needed a
period of rest and in the interest of his health and of the country,
he should not return to Guinea. Sirleaf described Dadis as attentive
but not fully coherent. He told her she was the only person who had
spoken to him sincerely and noted that he respected her like a
mother. She encouraged him to issue a statement to the people of
Guinea saying that he needed time to convalesce and that Konate would
be in charge. Sirleaf said that Dadis has expressed an interest in
going to Germany and she promised to work with him to identify a
location. She asked if the U.S. would be interested, a question
which the Ambassador did not think required a response.


3. (C) In a separate meeting with Sekouba Konate, Sirleaf reported
that he was very frustrated and stated he just wanted to quit. She
told him that he had no choice but to stay through the transition.
Compaore told her that Konate was sicker than Dadis but he finally
agreed to return to Guinea and lead the transition for a six month
period.


4. (C) Sirleaf also met with Compaore and ECOWAS President Chambas.
She thanked Compaore for his efforts and encouraged him to send his
newly appointed special envoy along with Chambas and several ECOWAS
generals to accompany Konate back to Conakry in order to confirm the
international community's support for Konate.


5. (C) Sirleaf said that the hardliners in Guinea, among them the
Foreign Minister and some of the generals, were pressing Dadis to
return by suggesting to him that the ICC would issue an indictment
against him for the September 28 events. They were encouraging him
to return to Guinea where he would be assured of not being turned
over to the ICC. The Foreign Minister also told Sirleaf that he did
not like the way Dadis was brought to Burkina Faso.


6. (C) In what was clearly an appeal to the U.S., Sirleaf asserted
that since Dadis had made the decision to allow peace to prevail in
Guinea, he should be allowed to seek medical care and not be
threatened with an ICC indictment. She noted that she plans to reach
out to South Africa and Germany as well on Dadis' behalf.


7. (C) Comment: Sirleaf was relieved and pleased with the results of
the meeting and the role she was called upon to play in convincing
Dadis to accept the accord. It is worth noting that Sirleaf, in a
few short years, has become the voice of reason in West Africa and
particularly in the Mano River countries. Sirleaf clearly committed
to assisting Dadis in finding a final home but more of concern is the
apparent promise she and Compaore may have made to keep Dadis from
being indicted. End Comment.

THOMAS-GREENFIELD