VZCZCXRO5414
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0600/01 2881429
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141429Z OCT 08 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3021
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000600 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: ETHNIC POLITICS IN GUINEA - GENERAL BACKGROUND 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  This cable is the first in a series of 
reports exploring the role of ethnicity in Guinean politics. 
Guinea has been widely seen as a violence-averse, tolerant 
country in which various ethnic groups have been able to live 
together peacefully, avoiding the inter-ethnic conflicts that 
have ravaged some of its neighbors.  However, as the 
president's health wanes and various actors anticipate an 
eventual grab for power, ethnicity seems to be playing an 
increasingly prominent role in Guinea's complex political 
dynamic.  This first report provides some general background 
on Guinea's ethnic groups as well as some comments on the 
role ethnicity has played in Guinean politics in the past. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------- 
FOUR REGIONS, FOUR ETHNIC GROUPS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Guinea encompasses four main ethnic groups, which 
roughly correspond with the country's four natural regions. 
There has not been an official census in more than a decade, 
but the common perception is that the Peuhl (Fulani) ethnic 
group of Middle Guinea (also known as the Fouta Djallon) is 
the largest group, representing approximately 40% of the 
population.  The second largest group is the Malinke of Upper 
Guinea, representing approximately 30% of the population. 
The Soussou of Coastal Guinea comprises approximately 20% of 
the population.  The remaining 10% of the population 
encompasses a number of smaller tribes, most of which are 
based in the Forest Region, and are generally referred to as 
the "Forestiers," or "Forest People." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Although each region is identified with a specific 
ethnic group, extensive inter-marrying and migration have 
blurred ethnic lines.  It is common to hear someone described 
as "Soussou by birth, but Peuhl by culture" or "Malinke by 
birth, but Soussou by culture."  It is not unusual to meet a 
Malinke person living in the Forest Region just as it is not 
unusual to meet a Soussou living in the Fouta Djallon. 
Conakry, which is considered part of Coastal Guinea, is an 
ethnic melting pot with significant numbers of people from 
each ethnic group.  However, many of Conakry's neighborhoods 
are specifically identified with one ethnic group or another. 
 For example, Hamadallaye and Bambeto are considered Peuhl 
while Matoto and Sig-Medina are Malinke. 
 
-------------------------- 
SHARED TIES ACROSS BORDERS 
-------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Further complicating the issue is the fact that 
most ethnic groups transcend international borders.  As 
Guinea's borders are highly porous, citizens claiming 
neighboring nationalities frequently transit back and forth 
across the borders, as do a number of Guineans.  Ethnic 
groups related to the Malinkes or the Peuhls are living in 
Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Mali while many of the Forest 
tribes are connected to tribes in neighboring Sierra Leone 
and Liberia. 
 
------------- 
GUINEAN FIRST 
------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Since becoming independent 50 years ago, Guinea has 
been widely seen as a violence-averse, tolerant country in 
which various ethnic groups have been able to live together 
peacefully, avoiding the inter-ethnic conflicts that have 
ravaged some of its neighbors.  Observers have attributed 
this phenomenon in part to the legacy of Sekou Toure (a 
Malinke), a notorious Guinean dictator believed responsible 
for tens of thousands of deaths over the course of his regime 
(1958-1984).  People from all ethnic groups were reportedly 
killed indiscriminately, prompting citizens to develop a 
sense of "Guinean-ness" as everyone had suffered equally and 
therefore had a shared history. 
 
-------------------------- 
MAINTAINING ETHNIC BALANCE 
-------------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Toure's regime was followed by a military coup that 
installed General Lansana Conte (a Soussou) as president. 
Conte has been seen by some as a shrewd manipulator who has 
successfully played the larger ethnic groups off of each 
other in order to maintain his own grasp on power.  The 
Soussou group has certainly benefited from Conte's regime 
with many Soussous occupying key government positions over 
the years.  At the same time, Conte has also appointed 
 
CONAKRY 00000600  002 OF 002 
 
 
members of other ethnic groups to high-level positions in 
order to maintain some degree of ethnic balance.  This 
strategy may have helped minimize inter-ethnic conflicts. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The current assortment of ministers and high-level 
officials in the Conte administration helps illustrate how 
the president balances ethnic issues.  Prime Minister Souare 
is a Peuhl, as are a significant number of his ministers. 
However, the Minister Secretary General of the Presidency, 
Alpha Ibrahima Keira, who may now be one of the most powerful 
officials in government, is Malinke.  Old guard Soussous are 
scattered throughout the ministries.  This balance is not 
accidental.  Every time there is a new government, Embassy 
contacts are quick to analyze the ethnic balance, and just as 
quick to criticize any perceived slights to one group or 
another. 
 
------------------------ 
ETHNIC POLITICAL PARTIES 
------------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Conte's ruling party, the Party for Unity and 
Progress (PUP), is generally seen as one of the most 
ethnically balanced political parties, although it may 
include a proportionally higher number of Soussou members. 
Opposition party Union of Republican Forces (UFR), under 
former Prime Minister Sidya Toure, is seen as more balanced 
than most, but with strong support from the Peuhls.  However, 
the rest of the major opposition political parties are 
closely identified with a specific ethnic group.  The Rally 
for the Guinean People (RPG) is predominantly Malinke while 
the Union for Guinean Progress (UPG) draws significant 
support from the Forest Region.  The Union of Guinean 
Democratic Forces (UFDG) and the Union for Progress and 
Renewal (UPR) are competing heavily for Peuhl constituents. 
 
----------------------------- 
ETHNICITY AS A POLITICAL TOOL 
----------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (SBU) As the president's health wanes and various actors 
anticipate an eventual grab for power, ethnicity seems to be 
playing an increasingly prominent role in Guinea's complex 
political dynamic.  It is difficult to talk to contacts about 
the political situation without someone bringing up the issue 
of ethnicity one way or another.  Many of the country's 
intellectuals maintain that serious ethnic tensions do not 
really exist in Guinea, but that political leaders are using 
ethnicity as a tool to manipulate others, often to serve 
their own individual interests.  However, the fact that these 
"manipulations" have appeared to be fairly effective suggests 
that the issue is becoming more problematic than it has been 
in the past. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Over the coming weeks, Poloff will be meeting with 
various organizations and individuals in order to develop a 
better sense of how ethnicity may be influencing Guinean 
politics as the population prepares for an eventual political 
transition. 
RASPOLIC