VZCZCXRO3298
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0067/01 0091642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 091642Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7276
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0221
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0772

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000067 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR AF, AF/EX, HR/OE AND AF/W 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT PREL AODE APER PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA BISSAU: ADDITIONAL LES STAFF NEEDED 
 
REF: A. 06 STATE 021433 
 
     ¶B. 06 DAKAR 2801 
     ¶C. STAFFING PLAN PROVIDED TO AF/EX IN OCTOBER 2006 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
¶1.  (U) This is an action message.  See paragraph 8.  The 
U.S. strategy for Guinea-Bissau (Ref A) calls for a review of 
security and staffing in Guinea-Bissau at the end of 2006. 
The situation is peaceful; USG activities continue to 
increase; post is opening new office space; and efforts to 
re-open the Embassy in Bissau are well underway.  With these 
trends, the Guinea-Bissau Watcher at post should be stationed 
permanently in Bissau starting in summer 2008.  In 
preparation for the move, an additional full time Locally 
Engaged Staff/Foreign Service National (LES/FSN) position is 
needed in Bissau no later than summer 2007.  END SUMMARY. 
 
SECURITY CONTEXT 
---------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) President Joao Bernardo &Nino8 Vieira was elected 
in June 2005 and inaugurated in October of that year.  The 
year and a half since the free and fair election has been 
largely peaceful with significant progress toward 
consolidating democratic institutions.  It is not entirely a 
rosy picture, however, and areas of concern remain.  For 
example, political divisions are still bitter, and 
politicians are often more concerned with personal gain than 
the best interest of the country.  Drug trafficking and 
corruption have increased; the economy has suffered due 
primarily to deeply flawed policies on cashew exports; and 
basic staples such as rice have been scarce. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Despite these problems, there are strong 
indications the Government can survive and can keep the 
military under control.  Since Vieira came into power, 
opposition parties, especially the Party for the Independence 
of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde (PAIGC), launched two 
significant efforts to throw out the government of Prime 
Minister Aristides Gomes.  The first was in early 2006 when 
PAIGC tried -- but failed -- to reject the government,s 
policy program in the National Popular Assembly (ANP).  The 
second was last month when PAIGC tried to enlist the second 
largest party in the ANP, the Social Revolution Party (PRS), 
to join them in a no confidence vote.  In this most recent 
effort, opposition leaders were hoping to capitalize on the 
government,s failure to garner enough donor support to cover 
the 2007 budget gap and also the return of former President 
Kumba Yala, a polarizing and potentially destabilizing figure 
nominated to head the PRS.  Again, the effort failed and the 
Gomes government remains in place. 
¶4.  (U) It is significant that through all the political 
machinations, the military, headed by Major General Batista 
Tagme Na Waie, has remained essentially on the sidelines.  He 
has kept his focus more on the tasks that one would expect of 
a Chief of Staff: finding resources to feed, house, clothe, 
and arm his troops; and leading a campaign to expel Movement 
of Democratic Forces of the Casamance (MFDC) rebel faction 
Atika/Movement for the Liberation of the People of Casamance 
(MPLC) from its bases near the Senegal border. 
 
ON THE HORIZON 
-------------- 
¶5.  (SBU) In addition to helping Guinea-Bissau through its 
democratic transition, two major policy concerns loom that 
will require permanent, in-country presence: drug trafficking 
and petroleum.  Post has reported on the importance of 
Guinea-Bissau as a transshipment point for drug traffickers 
(Ref B), and the level of corruption that is growing as a 
result.  On December 26, Vieira began to talk publicly about 
the problem and in the same week, the new Interior Minister, 
Dionisio Cabi, reached out to post for assistance in fighting 
drug trafficking. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The first wave of money from petroleum may start to 
arrive in Bissau within the next one to two years. 
Occidental Petroleum, a U.S. company, is currently working 
with Premier Oil, a British firm, in the exploration phase. 
A representative from Premier told Ambassador in September 
that he expected to be pumping 50,000 barrels per day.  This 
new wealth will surely bring an influx of American business 
people and increased concern over corruption, democratic 
practices, and development. 
 
CURRENT AND FUTURE STAFFING NEEDS 
--------------------------------- 
¶7.  (U) Post currently has one FSN-08 Political Assistant 
position in Bissau supporting all activities.  Additional 
 
DAKAR 00000067  002 OF 002 
 
 
administrative support is being provided through a services 
contractor.  As reflected in Ref C, and in preparation for 
the stationing of an FS-02 Charge, an additional FSN position 
is required.  Post proposes to establish an FSN Admin/Cons 
position to provide administrative support including but not 
limited to: working with Dakar GSO and RSO to locate and 
prepare appropriate leased housing; coordinate staffing and 
provide operational oversight for local guards; provide 
Consular American Citizen services (once a DH American is on 
site); and other routine administrative support activities. 
 
¶8.  (U) Due to a staffing realignment, Embassy Dakar has a 
vacant ICASS LES/FSN position that we do not expect to fill 
and that is available for transfer to Bissau.  ACTION 
REQUEST: Post would like AF/EX concurrence to transfer the 
Dakar position to Bissau.  END ACTION REQUEST. 
JACKSON