VZCZCXRO5634
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0036/01 0131328
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 131328Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3346
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000036 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SOCI PREL PGOV KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CIVIL SOCIETY LEADER CRITICIZES USG POLICY, CALLS 
FOR GREATER SUPPORT 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  A prominent civil society leader and 
former minister of social affairs privately criticized the 
USG's decision to suspend non-humanitarian aid during a 
January 7 meeting with Poloff.  She blamed the international 
community for Guinea's current situation and called for 
greater assistance in the months ahead in order to reinforce 
civil society's capacity to pressure the military junta for a 
rapid return to civilian rule.  Although contact favorably 
viewed the Council for Democracy and Development (CNDD), she 
was equally convinced that civil society needs to take a 
stronger, more unified position, and that it needs to do so 
sooner rather than later.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (U) On January 7, Poloff met with Hadja Saran Daraba, a 
former minister of social affairs and current head of the 
Guinea chapter of the Mano River Women's Union for Peace NGO 
(REFMAP).  Daraba is also a member of the "Club des Femmes," 
an association of prominent women leaders with whom the 
Embassy has collaborated with in the past, and a member of 
the executive board of the National Council of Civil Society 
Organizations.  Daraba was departing later that day for the 
January 10 ECOWAS meeting in Abuja. 
 
------------------------------- 
WHY ARE YOU SANCTIONING US NOW? 
------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Known for her straightforward style, Daraba quickly 
launched into a twenty minute criticism of the USG's January 
6 announcement to suspend non-humanitarian aid.  "We are 
perplexed as to why the United States is taking this action 
now," she said.  According to Diallo, the USG and other 
partners are responsible for the military's December 23 
seizure of power.  She said that she and others had been 
emphasizing to the international community, at least since 
2003, the overwhelmingly disastrous long-term effects of 
continued weak governance.  "You should have sanctioned the 
previous government," she said, adding "if you had, we would 
not be in this situation today." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Daraba pointed out that when Guinea was under 
constitutional rule, the military used their weapons to 
intimidate the population.  "We had a police state 
before...but it is the same military now; nothing has 
changed, but now we get sanctioned?"  Warming to her theme, 
she said "how do you expect us to confront them...we have no 
means to fight them...you are asking for a civil war and a 
humanitarian crisis." 
 
---------------------------- 
THE BLAME BELONGS TO YOU TOO 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Daraba criticized the USG for failing to provide 
"consistent assistance" to key civil society organizations 
such as REFMAP.  She recounted how REFMAP had requested 
funding through USAID's Faisons Ensemble program to reinforce 
civil society in Upper Guinea and the Forest Region. 
According to Daraba, the grant was eliminated from the 
program.  "I cite this example because it is the one I know 
best," she said.  Daraba maintained that if REFMAP and other 
NGOs like it had been supported consistently over the years, 
they might have been able to build the kind of grassroots 
level of civic responsibility that could have forced the 
government to change. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Accusing the international community of propping up 
an ineffective government, Daraba agreed that a coup was not 
the best solution, but pointed out that the population is 
generally happy with the result.  She emphasized that 
although the military had seized power, they had done so 
without shedding blood and had refrained from arresting 
people.  When Poloff pointed out that the CNDD had arrested 
18 individuals, Daraba agreed, but then quickly moved on. 
"Where was everybody five years ago when the population was 
too afraid to act?, she asked, adding "no government made any 
declaration to cut aid then." 
 
---------------------------------- 
THE CNDD IS DOING THE RIGHT THINGS 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) According to Daraba, there are two positive aspects 
to the CNDD's methods.  She said that the CNDD has refrained 
from threatening "most people," referring to former 
government officials.  Second, Daraba said that the CNDD is 
clearly open to broad-based dialogue.  "I don't see any 
mastery or expertise, but there is a willingness to work 
 
CONAKRY 00000036  002 OF 002 
 
 
together," she told Poloff.  Citing an example, Daraba 
mentioned the CNDD's seemingly frequent backtracking on 
public declarations, which she saw as a positive sign. 
"Every time they change something, it shows that they are 
listening to us," she said. 
 
-------------------------------------- 
BUILDING CONSENSUS AMONG CIVIL SOCIETY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) In response to a question about civil society's 
perspective on the transition period, Daraba said that she 
was working with other civil society leaders to try and build 
a consensus of opinion.  She noted that most everyone agrees 
that the total period of transition should not exceed one 
year, and that she and others are "mobilizing everyone," 
including the media, in an effort to pressure the CNDD to 
move in that direction. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) Commenting on elections, Daraba said that people 
"cannot afford to dream about how the process works."  She 
noted that it is a step by step process and cannot be rushed. 
 Daraba maintained that it is technically impossible to have 
elections in less than nine months.  "This is where we are 
going to need your help," she told Poloff.  She said that 
both technical and financial assistance to the electoral 
process will be critical, and without it, the elections will 
not happen. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Poloff emphasized that civil society must 
immediately take a prominent leadership role that reflects a 
unity of opinion, noting that a failure to do so could 
ultimately reinforce the military's hold on power for the 
long-term.  Daraba agreed, saying "we cannot wait; we have to 
act now."  However, she said that if civil society is to 
effectively play this role, it must have financial support. 
She commented "I am not among the poorest of Guineans, but I 
have the barest minimum to survive...and I am responsible for 
paying 28 other people, representing 28 families." 
 
¶11.  (SBU) In response to Poloff comments that civil 
society's reaction appears to be much the same as it was 
before Conte's death with a number of leaders playing to 
personal ambitions at the expense of the greater good, Daraba 
said "please keep saying these things to everyone you 
see...even if they deny it, you need to keep saying it...if a 
Guinean says it, no one will listen, but when you say it, it 
carries weight."  She added that it is important that the USG 
and others start making these statements public in order to 
reinforce the message that unity and an aggressive approach 
are the key to restoring civilian rule. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Despite Daraba's long-winded and pointed criticism 
of USG policy towards Guinea, the meeting was constructive 
and cordial.  Poloff accepted the criticism and encouraged 
Daraba to focus on what needs to be done in the months ahead, 
noting that the USG shares her main objective: a quick 
restoration of civilian rule.  Unlike some other civil 
society leaders, Daraba seemed to understand the urgency of 
taking a strong, proactive approach in order to firmly 
establish civil society's ability to serve as a political 
counterweight to the military junta.  At the same time, she 
was clearly concerned about financial resources.  When 
invited to speak at the Embassy's next scheduled Human Rights 
Working Group, which will focus on civil society's role in a 
representative democracy, Daraba was willing to participate 
and suggested other potential speakers.  However, she warned 
that civil society needs much more than a two-hour discussion 
to get things on track.  END COMMENT. 
RASPOLIC