VZCZCXRO8639
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0255 1540805
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 020805Z JUN 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2603
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000255 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: LABOR UNIONS SAY THEY WILL SUPPORT NEW PRIME 
MINISTER 
 
REF: CONAKRY 0244 
 
¶1.  (U) Louis M'Bemba Soumah, president of the teacher's 
union (SLECG), made an announcement on public radio the 
evening of May 30.  He said that the unions understand that 
the January 2007 Accords stipulate that no member of any 
former government can be appointed as the consensus prime 
minister.  Soumah reportedly said that this requirement 
should prevent the new prime minister, Dr. Ahmed Tidiane 
Souare, from being appointed.  However, he added that because 
the unions know Souare well, have worked with him in the 
past, and respect him, they are willing to continue working 
with him as prime minister.  Soumah said that the unions will 
support Souare as long as he continues in the direction of 
"le changement." 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The teacher's union, under Soumah's leadership, had 
met with the PM on May 29 and advised him of their intent to 
strike effective June 10 if certain economic demands were not 
addressed (reftel).  However, another union contact told Pol 
LES that a broader union representation, including 
representatives from 16 different member unions of 
Unions-Intersyndicale, met with the PM on May 30.  Prime 
Minister Souare reportedly opened the meeting by thanking the 
unionists, telling them that he owes his current position as 
PM to them.  He reminded them that when he was previously 
serving as the Minister of Higher Education, union 
representatives came to see him and told him that they were 
sorry he had to leave the government, but all of his 
colleagues were irrevocably corrupt, and the government had 
to be dissolved.  Souare reportedly said that the unionists 
told him at that time that they had liked working with him 
and had nothing against him personally. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The union contact told Pol LES that the union 
leaders responded by thanking Souare and emphasizing that 
they expect the January 2007 Accords to be respected. 
Specifically, they told him that Souare should not appoint 
any corrupt former government officials to his cabinet; he 
should find an immediate solution to the military mutiny; he 
should address continuing economic demands; and he should 
firmly address the issue of Mamadou Syllah.  The PM 
reportedly responded by saying that he considers the Accords 
as his "compass."  He stressed that he does not plan to have 
any former government officials as part of his government. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) On the issue of the pre-notification of intent to 
strike, Souare reportedly asked the unions to refrain from 
formally submitting it to the government, if they had not 
already done so.  Union contact told Pol LES that the 
teachers' union had already delivered the strike notification 
to the appropriate GoG ministry. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The ministers of labor and education reportedly 
joined PM Souare in the May 30 meeting with unionists.  Both 
ministers are the only two members of the cabinet who are 
also union members. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The co-chairs of Unions-Intersyndicale, Dr. 
Ibrahima Fofana and Serah Rabiatou Diallo, are still in 
Geneva for an international labor conference, which does not 
end until June 13.  According to sources, they are not 
currently planning on returning to Conakry before the end of 
the conference. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶7.  (SBU) The fact that the unions now appear to be willing 
to try and work with the new PM suggests that Louis M'Bemba 
Soumah may have been getting ahead of everyone else.  Given 
that he made the public radio address himself, it seems 
likely that the teachers' union will back down from their 
strike threat, at least for the time being.  END COMMENT. 
CARTER