VZCZCXRO4742
OO RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0796/01 3591527
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
O 241527Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3259
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 0563
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000796 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/24/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM PMIL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: PUTSCHISTS ANNOUNCE MEMBERS OF TRANSITIONAL COUNCIL 
 
REF: A. CONAKRY 0787 
     ¶B. CONAKRY 0788 
     ¶C. CONAKRY 0793 
 
Classified By: POL/ECON CHIEF SHANNON CAZEAU FOR REASON 1.4 B AND D 
 
¶1.  (S) SUMMARY.  Coup organizers officially announced the 
formation of a transitional council on December 23, which 
includes 32 members.  The Council is predominantly military 
with reported ties to drug kingpin Ousmane Conte.  Mutiny 
leader Claude Pivi is also a member.  Civilian contacts are 
saying that the Council membership is unacceptable.  Conakry 
remains calm, but there have been some incidents of violence. 
 The airport remains open although commercial airlines are 
independently deciding to cancel or divert flights.  The 
French are reviewing evacuation plans as part of normal 
operating procedures, but are not currently considering 
evacuation.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) The situation in Conakry remains relatively calm on 
December 24 as putschists continue to assert their authority 
and define a transitional government.  However, gunfire could 
be heard throughout the night, and there were reports of 
several small businesses being robbed by armed soldiers.  A 
French media source, France24, claimed that the putschists 
had instituted a curfew between the hours of 19:00 and 06:00. 
 Embassy has not been able to confirm that there is in fact a 
curfew in place, but military elements did set up various 
roadblocks throughout the city last night. 
 
¶3.  (S) The former Minister of Foreign Affairs (former as in 
part of the government overthrown by the coup) told DCM that 
soldiers attacked his vehicle when he was driving home from 
the People's Palace after a late night meeting.  He said that 
the soldiers beat him up and then stole his cell phone and 
other valuables.  A former Minister of Security, Damba, said 
that soldiers broke into his home, beat him up to the point 
of fracturing some bones, and stole valuables. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Conakry International Airport remains open, but 
commercial airlines have been independently deciding to 
cancel or divert incoming flights.  Air Senegal, Air Mali, 
Air Maroc, and Brussels Airlines all canceled flights 
yesterday.  Air France is diverting its regularly scheduled 
December 24 flight to Dakar.  (COMMENT.  The airport also 
remained open during the May 2008 military mutiny with 
commercial airlines making similar decisions over a period of 
a few days until the security situation became clearer.  END 
COMMENT). 
 
¶5.  (S) The French liaison officer to AFRICOM told AFRICOM 
that the French are currently reviewing their evacuation 
plans as party of standard contingency planning.  The French 
have not indicated that they are considering evacuations, 
only that they are reviewing the plans in order to be 
prepared if the situation escalates.  (COMMENT.  They did the 
same thing during the May military mutiny even though they 
reported at the time that they were not considering 
evacuations.  END COMMENT). 
 
¶6.  (S) At approximately 20:00 on December 23, the putschists 
announced the composition the new National Council for 
Development and Democracy (CNDD), which included 32 members. 
Captain Moussa Gadis Camara, a soldier who had received U.S. 
and German training in the past, and who contacts say is 
linked to drug kingpin Ousmane Conte, was named as the head 
of the CNDD.  Of the remaining appointees, 25 were military 
and 6 were civilian.  Two other soldiers had received U.S. 
training in the past.  Three soldiers are directly or loosely 
associated with the 19th Promotion--LTC Mathurin Bangoura, 
LTC Aboubakar Sidiki "Idi Amin" Camara, and LTC Mamadou Korka 
Diallo.  Two others had purported ties to Ousmane Conte, but 
contacts have suggested that the number may be higher.  The 
leader of the May military mutiny, Claude Pivi, was also 
included on the CNDD. 
 
¶7.  (S) Civilian contacts have repeatedly expressed their 
concern to Embassy officers over the composition of the 
council.  Youth leader Thierno Balde, who has been working 
with the 19th promotion on their coup plans, said that the 
CNDD is clearly linked to Ousmane Conte.  He described them 
as a group of close friends looking to continue a cronyist 
government system with little to no interest in civilian 
rule.  Several contacts have said that the ethnic composition 
of the CNDD is worrisome because Peuhls and Soussous are not 
adequately represented.  A journalist told PD LES that some 
of the people on the list are refugees from Sierra Leone and 
Liberia, and therefore, not "real Guineans." 
 
 
CONAKRY 00000796  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶8.  (U) The morning of December 24, the CNDD issued two 
additional communiques.  In the first one, the CNDD stated 
that certain generals continue to recognize the National 
Assembly as a legitimate government institution, 
demonstrating a lack of respect for the people of Guinea. 
The spokesperson said that they (these generals) are 
anticipating the intervention of foreign mercenaries already 
in Guinea, commenting that such behavior is unworthy of a 
responsible citizen.  In the second communique, the CNDD 
stated that "taking power was a civic act responding to the 
will of a distressed people."  The CNDD emphasized that it 
had no ambition to say in power and was only looking to 
safeguard territorial integrity.  The spokesperson stated "We 
are engaged in organizing elections at the end of December 
¶2010.  We ask the population not to protest in the streets." 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Discussions among the putschists continued this 
morning.  Youth leaders participated in part of the 
discussions, but were later asked to leave.  Further 
announcements are expected. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10.  (S) There seem to be at least three competing factions 
within the ranks of the putschists.  Details on internal 
discussions and further analysis will be reported septel. 
The situation remains uncertain as there is as of yet no 
clear picture of what shape the new government is going to 
take.  Civilian contacts have indicated that they will 
ultimately reject the new CNDD if the membership is not 
changed.  END COMMENT. 
RASPOLIC