VZCZCXRO0471
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0168 0241639
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241639Z JAN 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4009
INFO RUEHNA/DEA HQS WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA 0022
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0150
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0699
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0085
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 0606
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS DAKAR 000168 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR INL, AF/RSA AND AF/W 
DEA FOR OI, OEE, OIE AND OSE 
ACCRA ALSO FOR WARP 
LAGOS FOR DEA AND LEGATT 
LISBON ALSO FOR DAO 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
ROME FOR RD BENSON AND ARD PASQUARELLO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR EAID MARR PINS PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA-BISSAU SEEKS ASSISTANCE IN COMBATING 
NARCOTICS TRAFICKING 
 
REF: A. DAKAR 0154 (NOTAL) 
¶B. LAGOS 0063 (NOTAL) 
¶B. 05 DAKAR 1208 (NOTAL) 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: On January 20, the 
Mission received a letter from Bissau-Guinean Prime 
Minister Aristides Gomes requesting assistance in 
combating narcotics trafficking through Guinea-Bissau. 
The letter noted that Bissau-Guinean Army officers, senior 
Ministry of Interior officials and magistrates may be 
involved.  This is the GOGB's second such request for help 
in less than a year (Ref C being the first).  Mission is 
pleased that DEA intends to visit Bissau, February 4-8 
(Ref B).  Mission urges INL, AF and DEA to explore 
coordination with EU countries that are increasingly 
concerned about the flow of narcotics from South America 
to Europe via Guinea-Bissau and Senegal.  END SUMMARY AND 
ACTION REQUEST. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On January 20, the Mission received a January 13 
letter from Bissau-Guinean Prime Minister Aristides Gomes, 
pleading for assistance in combating narcotics 
traffickers.  Without offering any specific assistance, 
the Embassy has informed the GOGB that a representative of 
the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) intends to visit Bissau, 
February 4-8. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Gomes' letter states that "powerful narco- 
traffickers" are utilizing Bissau as a transit point for 
drugs bound from South America to Europe.  The letter 
further acknowledges the suspected involvement of Bissau- 
Guinean Army officers, Ministry of Interior officials and 
magistrates.  The letter notes that on December 3, an 
aircraft with "registration number EC - LUX Type C" took 
off from Bissau for Spain with 100 kilos of cocaine on 
board. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) The African Party for the Independence of Guinea- 
Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC) has demanded that President 
Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira explain the rise in drug 
trafficking in the country.  Some PAIGC leaders have 
suggested that Vieira himself may be involved.  On January 
13, Secretary of State for Public Order Major Baciro Dabo 
announced the capture of seven Colombians who arrived from 
Ghana in a plane carrying large quantities of cocaine and 
money, three of whom subsequently escaped.  According to 
the PAIGC, two of the drug dealers who "allegedly" escaped 
are close to Guinean President Lansana Conte, who is a 
personal friend Vieira, and the other is "the leader of an 
international gang." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST: Mission recognizes 
that narcotics transiting Guinea-Bissau appear to be bound 
primarily for Europe.  However, the GOGB clearly needs 
outside assistance to address this growing problem.  We 
believe that the GOGB's request is serious.  Given this 
Government's pre-holiday crackdown on crime, we believe 
that the prmary constraint is lack of resources. 
Therefore, Mission urges that INL, AF and DEA explore 
enhanced coordination with EU countries that are 
increasingly concerned about the flow of narcotics from 
South America to Europe via Guinea-Bissau and Senegal. 
END COMMENT AND ACTION REQUEST. 
 
JACKSON