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FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0542
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000090 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR AF/W, AF/EX, DS/IP/AF, CA/OCS 
PLEASE PASS ALSO TO PEACE CORPS, ALSO FOR AID/AA 
TREASURY FOR OFFICE OF AFRICAN NATIONS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/27/2017 
TAGS: PGOV ELAB ASEC CASC PINS AEMR EAID GV
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 27: GUINEA GENERAL STRIKE, JAN. 27, 
1200 GMT 
 
REF: CONAKRY 88 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: DCM Julie Winn. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
----------------------- 
SITUATION ON THE GROUND 
------------------------ 
 
¶1.  (C) Conakry is quiet morning of January 27.  The general 
strike nominally continues, as ordered by the union 
leadership, but we are seeing traffic patterns approaching 
normal for a Saturday.  There are more private vehicles and 
taxis, as well as a handful of fuel trucks heading for the 
port to fill up.  Many shops and vendors are open, although 
no large stores have yet opened their front doors.  While 
conditions have relaxed somewhat each weekend since the 
strike began January 10, they are closer to normal today than 
over the last two weeks. 
 
---------------- 
POLITICAL UPDATE 
---------------- 
 
¶2.  (C) Yesterday evening, January 26, President Lansana 
Conte reportedly agreed to appoint a prime minister with "the 
delegated authorities" of a head of government.  We 
understand he has not/not yet signed any document containing 
this agreement.  Negotiations on the unions' demands 
reconvened at 1100 hours today at the Palais du People.  Both 
union and government representatives expect to sign an 
agreement today, but it is not yet clear what the content 
will be.  Senior union leaders say they will suspend the 
strike thereafter, although some union figures have declared 
they want to see concrete progress in the negotiations on 
their other, primarily economic, demands first.  The question 
of who will serve as the prime minister is also unresolved. 
We continue to believe that this deal is not yet done. 
 
¶3.  (C) Late afternoon reports on January 26 suggested that 
negotiations over the unions' primary political demand, a 
prime minister as head of government with broad executive 
powers, had hit a wall.  The unions, having briefed their 
increasingly radicalized membership mid-day, were hard-over 
that the prime minister must also have the title of head of 
government.  As the day's session began around 1630 hours, 
labor reps waved a copy of a letter from the public 
prosecutor announcing an investigation into whether they had 
broken the laws against personally attacking the president 
and organizing a non-authorized public demonstration.  Union 
leaders expressed outrage that they were being accused of 
fomenting unrest that had resulted in death and property 
damages, insisting it was they who were trying to protect the 
greater population.  They asked how they could maintain faith 
in the negotiations when some in authority were undermining 
them.  Their government and religious interlocutors took that 
letter and the draft terms of reference and went to consult 
with Conte. 
 
¶4.  (C) First Lady Henriette Conte was reportedly asked to 
smooth the road for the delegation, insisting that her 
husband make some concessions.  Our sources confirmed that 
during the meeting Conte stated that he agrees, in principle, 
to appoint a prime minister as head of government.  Conte 
asked the government and religious leaders to leave the 
documents with him -- he would study them closely and sign 
after receiving proposed names and choosing an individual as 
prime minister.  Subsequently, it was announced on the 
evening news that Conte had agreed to the formulation in para 
¶2. 
 
¶5.  (C) Unions and the population greeted the news with 
excitement.  Although it was not in fact the case, the 
general public understood that Conte signed a decree formally 
creating a position of prime minister as head of government 
and that the strike would end.  However, union leaders are 
not yet claiming victory.  Amadou Diallo, the number two at 
CNTG, told Poloff on January 27, "It is too early for 
celebration.  Although we have climbed the highest hurdle, 
this battle is not over."  Diallo said that while 
negotiations continue on several points, they plan to sign an 
memorandum of understanding today.  Diallo told us he had no 
idea who would sign for the government, as they remain 
divided without a recognized leader.  He said the unions do 
not expect Conte to sign. 
 
 
CONAKRY 00000090  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (C) Rabiatou Serah Diallo called Poloff the morning of 
January 27 to thank the Embassy for "moral support" during 
the strike.  She said they would never have gotten this far 
without it.  When asked about the next step, Rabiatou Diallo 
said, "The people are tired.  We plan to sign an agreement 
today to avoid any additional bloodshed."  The unions 
indicated their willingness to suspend the strike, 
recognizing that if the government does not adhere to its 
agreement, they can resume striking.  In sum, they appear to 
be ready to put an end to this chapter. 
 
¶7.  (C) It is unclear how long it will take for Conte to name 
a prime minister.  Progress on the unions political and 
economic demands still depends on Conte's will to sign and 
then allow any decision to be implemented.  All actors 
recognize they have been burned before and that Conte has 
demonstrated a recent penchant for making and then 
overturning his own decisions.  Should this agreement not be 
all it seems on the surface or should it fall apart, the 
dismay will be all the greater for the hopes that were 
raised. 
 
---------------- 
SECURITY POSTURE 
---------------- 
 
¶8.  (C) Post management determined late afternoon January 26 
that conditions were calm enough to permit a modified 
standfast posture for the weekend.  Employees and their 
families may leave their residences, exercising caution, to 
restock and to visit friends. 
 
¶9.  (C) Ambassador, DCM, conoffs and RSO met with wardens at 
1100 hours on January 27 to review the political and security 
situations.  About 20 wardens attended. 
 
10,  (C) Regional Survey Team (RST), already en route to post 
(see Sitrep 24), will arrive late this afternoon. 
MCDONALD