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DE RUEHRY #0529 1340956
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O 140956Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1082
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
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RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L CONAKRY 000529 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/14/2017 
TAGS: PINS ASEC CASC GV
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 3: MILITARY UNREST, MAY 14, 1030 HOURS 
GMT 
 
REF: CONAKRY 527 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Jackson McDonald.  Reason 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
¶1.  (C) On the surface, Conakry appears normal this morning, 
May 14, despite serious, unresolved problems within the 
military.  Traffic is flowing.  Schools, shops, and offices 
are open. 
 
¶2.  (C) The status of the military remains fluid, within both 
the ranks and the senior command. 
 
¶3.  (C) Disgruntled soldiers, who have been airing their 
grievances over the past two weeks, do not speak with one 
voice and have no defined leadership within their ranks. 
They still expect President Lansana Conte to come to Camp 
Alpha Yaya today to address them.  He has already stood them 
up twice.  Moreover, many soldiers appear unhappy with the 
change in the military command, which falls short of their 
demand for new leadership.  They are especially unhappy with 
the appointment of retired General Bailo Diallo as Minister 
of Defense, because of his advanced age and track record of 
corruption.  He does not represent change but, rather, more 
of the same.  In addition, the soldiers are still demanding 
increased pay and payment of salary arrears, which the 
government cannot afford. 
 
¶4.  (C) As of this writing, there has been no official 
turnover within the military command.  General Kerfalla 
Camara remains Chief of Defense Staff; General Arafan Camara 
remains Minister of Defense.  No turnover ceremony has been 
scheduled. 
 
¶5.  (C) According to President Conte's senior military aide 
at the Presidency, General Kerfalla, General Arafan, and 
other senior military officials learned of their dismissal 
when the presidential decree was read on national radio about 
1000 hours, May 12.  They had not been informed ahead of 
time.  The same source claimed that the decree was hastily 
drafted on the morning of May 14, when President Conte 
dropped by the house of his third wife (the fortune-teller). 
We have no independent confirmation of this, but the third 
spouse has exerted influence -- often nefarious and 
self-interested -- on presidential nominations in the past. 
Colonel Emmanuel Konate, Secretary General of the Defense 
Staff, who normally drafts all decrees relating to the 
miltary, claims no involvement in this one. 
 
¶6.  (C) President Conte's senior military aide claimed that 
Conte asked three times on Saturday afternoon and again on 
Sunday where Generals Kerfalla and Arafan were and why they 
had not come to see him.  Conte's staff reportedly had to 
remind him that he had fired them.  If this is true (we have 
no independent confirmation), then President Conte's is still 
suffering from short-term memory loss and remains subject to 
manipulation. 
 
¶7.  (C) On the night of May 14-15, soldiers and civilians 
looted warehouses in the Matam district, reportedly stealing 
7000 tons of rice, 400 motorcycles, 20 4x4 vehicles, and 
20,000 cartons of soap.  Although several warehouses were 
looted, the main one belongs to Alpha Amadou Diallo, a major 
Peuhl merchant closely associated with President Conte.  His 
warehouses were also attacked during the February 1996 
mutiny. 
 
¶8.  (C) On the night of May 15, several truckloads of 
Chinese-trained army commandos arrived at Camp Alpha Yaya 
(presumably from their base in Kinda) and then departed 
towards downtown.  It remains unclear whether they are part 
of the patrols that the government has just announced to 
prevent renewed looting. 
 
¶9.  (C) The U.S. Mission is fully staffed and functioning 
normally.  All Amcits are safe for now.  We are continuing to 
monitor the situation very closely.  It remains uncertain 
whether Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate will be available to 
receive the Ambassador this morning as scheduled. 
MCDONALD