VZCZCXRO3588
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0675/01 3101317
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 051317Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3122
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000675 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ASEC PGOV PHUM GV
SUBJECT: PROTEST ACTIVITY CONTINUES, BUT CITY IS NOTICEABLY 
CALMER 
 
REF: A. CONAKRY 0663 
     ¶B. CONAKRY 0668 
     ¶C. CONAKRY 0670 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  Random protests continue in Conakry this 
morning, although the city appears calmer than it has since 
the civil disturbances started four days ago.  Embassy has 
received reports of at least three dead, possibly four, and 
more than 40 injured.  GoG security forces continue to 
respond with relative restraint, refraining from firing 
directly on protestors, although there have been reports of 
violent beatings.  The situation in the interior of the 
country remains calm.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Interventions by the Minister of Security and the 
leaders of an ethnic youth group (Haal Pular) yesterday 
afternoon may have had a calming effect on at least some of 
the protestors who have been forcing the capital city to come 
to an almost complete standstill since November 2 (reftels). 
The city began to quiet down yesterday evening although there 
were still indications of unrest and general unease.  Embassy 
employees coming to work this morning reported less evidence 
of possible protest activity, and many locally engaged staff 
were able to get to the Embassy safely.  Vehicle traffic 
remained light, but there were more vehicles on the roads, 
including some taxis.  Security forces were out, but there 
seemed to be fewer officers than witnessed earlier in the 
week. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Haal Pular youths and the NGO "Network of Friends 
for Life" organized an anti-violence march yesterday 
afternoon, encouraging protestors to end the demonstrations. 
The youth leaders reportedly told the protestors that they 
were "making the neighborhood look bad." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) However, the situation remains tense.  Two LES 
employees driving an Embassy vehicle were held up at gunpoint 
this morning at approximately 0330 by three armed men in 
camouflage uniforms.  The employees were threatened and 
robbed, but physically unharmed.  The Secretary General of 
the Ministry of Security told DCM that the ministry would 
investigate the incident. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) By 0930, Embassy began receiving confirmed reports 
of protest activity, including tire burning, in Donka (near 
the CMR) and in Cosa.  The Donka protest was reportedly 
kicked off by local high school students who were angry that 
their teachers had not reported to work for the third day in 
a row.  Specific details about the Cosa demonstration were 
not available, but the area has consistently been a hotbed of 
protest activity over the last few days. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Although difficult to confirm, available 
information suggests that there have been at least three 
deaths since the protests began, possibly four.  The Deputy 
Director of Donka Hospital (Conakry's largest hospital) told 
Econ LES yesterday that the hospital was treating about 40 
people who had been injured by bullets and/or rocks. 
However, when Econ LES called for an update today, the doctor 
(who is a government employee) angrily told him to stop 
calling because the hospital cannot provide a daily update. 
He said that when the crisis is over, the hospital would 
inform the general public through a press conference. 
(COMMENT.  The GoG almost never publicly reports casualty 
totals, and certainly did not do so after similar recent 
crises such as the May military mutiny and the 2006 strikes. 
The GoG did provide an official casualty total from the 2007 
strikes, but only after significant international and 
domestic pressure to do so.  END COMMENT.) 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Recent international press reports have suggested 
that the GoG is responding to the crisis with undue force, 
possibly violating basic human rights.  Although past 
practices support this claim, sources indicate that the 
security forces have been responding with relative restraint. 
 They have been firing into the air, but Embassy has not 
received any reports to date of security forces firing 
directly at protestors.  However, there have been numerous 
reports of security forces violently beating protestors.  At 
the same time, many of the injuries appear to be the result 
of the protestors' activities.  At least one of those killed 
was a police recruit and there have been reports of security 
forces sustaining injuries. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Although some contacts suggest that the Minister of 
Security's intervention helped calm the situation, others 
indicate that many protestors remain undeterred.  One 
participant told Econ LES that the minister had brought some 
 
CONAKRY 00000675  002 OF 002 
 
 
cattle as a peace offering, slaughtering them on the spot, 
and then offering the meat to the protestors as a gift of 
encouragement to return to their homes.  The youths 
reportedly turned down the offer claiming that the meat would 
only give them indigestion, and then urinated on it.  Another 
youth contact told Poloff that people are getting tired and 
hungry, especially since it is becoming increasingly 
difficult to buy food, which may force a temporary return to 
calm.  However, contact emphasized that people remain deeply 
frustrated and are unlikely to back down in the long term. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Some contacts have told Embassy staff that there is 
less protest activity today because many youths stayed up 
late to watch the results of the U.S. presidential election 
and then celebrate Senator Barack Obama's win.  (COMMENT. 
Guineans have been following the U.S. elections very closely 
and there has been a high level of interest in the outcome. 
END COMMENT). 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Contacts throughout the interior of the country 
continue to report that the civil disturbances are confined 
to the capital area.  However, they pointed out that there 
are now significant fuel shortages in Kindia, Boke, Labe, and 
Kankan.  They added that the black market price for fuel now 
ranges between 10,000 GnF ($2.08) and 20,000 ($4.16) GnF per 
liter, as opposed to the official 5,500 GnF rate ($1.15). 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
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¶11.  (SBU) The situation seems calmer today, but there is 
still a high degree of uncertainty.  If the civil 
disturbances continue, people are soon going to be affected 
by fuel shortages and lack of access to basic food supplies. 
These same shortages may in turn cause a ripple effect in the 
interior since many critical supplies transit Conakry, with 
imports (such as rice) going out to the interior, and locally 
produced agricultural products coming in.  END COMMENT. 
 
RASPOLIC