TALKING POINTS FOR AMB. REDDICK'S MEETING WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 000414 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2020 TAGS: PREL PHUM PINS LY SG GV GB MO SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS FOR AMB. REDDICK'S MEETING WITH PRES. BONGO: SEEKING SHELTER FOR DADIS CAMARA Classified By: AF PDAS Don Yamamoto for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 3. ¶2. (SBU) Background: Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, leader of Guinea's ruling junta, the National Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD),has reneged on promises to hold elections in 2009 and worsened the misrule that has characterized Guinea since its independence from France in 1958. Tensions in Guinea came to a head on September 28 when thousands of peaceful demonstrators gathered inside a Conakry stadium and were attacked by Guinean security forces. According to both Human Rights Watch and the UN's Commission of Inquiry (CoI), over 150 people were killed, more than 1,500 wounded and over one hundred women raped by Guinean security forces. On December 3, the commander of Guinean security forces at the stadium, concerned that Captain Camara would seek to assuage international outrage by offering him up as a scapegoat, shot Captain Camara in the head. Camara was medevacced to Morocco where he remains to date. ¶3. (C) Camara's return could lead to bloody retaliation against his real and imagined enemies and/or infighting between elements of Guinea's ethnically factionalized military. Such a conflict could spill over Guinea's borders and destabilize Guinea's neighbors, some of which are still recovering from their own civil wars. CNDD acting junta leader and Defense Minister Sekouba Konate is currently in Rabat where he has reportedly met with Camara and determined that Camara's wounds make him incapable of resuming power. The Moroccan government has invited A/S Carson and his French counterpart to Rabat for January 4 discussions on next steps - a meeting with Konate may also take place. Our goal is to convince the Moroccans to hold Camara until a third country agrees to take him. We are reaching out to Libya and Senegal and also want to approach Gabon to see whether they are amenable to hosting Camara. ¶4. (SBU) Action Requested: Following are talking points to be used with President Bongo: -- Captain Moussa Dadis Camara is the head of an illegitimate regime that took power in a coup condemned by the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),among others. Early promises to hold elections have been broken. -- In an egregious violation of human rights, the junta dealt with a peaceful demonstration on September 28 by massacring over 150 people, wounding over 1,500 more and raping more than a hundred women. This brutal and unprovoked assault has threatened the stability of Guinea and the region. -- The UN's Commission of Inquiry into the atrocities of September 28 and their aftermath firmly placed the blame for them on Captain Camara and some of his subordinates. -- If Captain Camara were to return to Guinea he would likely initiate a crackdown against real and imagined enemies, possibly sparking a conflict with other factions in the military and/or a civil war with ethnic overtones. Such a conflict could spill over Guinea's borders and destabilize Guinea's neighbors, some of which are still recovering from their own civil wars. -- Gabon may be the best option for Camara's next temporary shelter as Guinea's immediate neighbors have political concerns linked to their geographic proximity, and Morocco is reluctant to further extend its hospitality. -- To prevent further instability and bloodshed and create the circumstances to facilitate a democratic transition in Guinea, our goal is for Camara to remain outside Guinea in a place where he can receive adequate medical care. We are investigating the logistics that would be required for transport and follow-on medical treatment. -- Would Gabon be willing to temporarily host Dadis Camara until the international community determines next steps? Agreement would be a testament to Gabon's willingness to contribute tangibly to significant matters of African regional security. CLINTON