VZCZCXRO2632
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0058/01 0221521
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 221521Z JAN 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3378
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000058 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV ECON AORC GV
SUBJECT: WORLD BANK RESREP INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED WITH 
GUINEA'S RULING JUNTA 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  On January 21, World Bank Country Manager 
Siaka Bakayoko met with PM Kabine Komara to discuss a number 
of issues related to ongoing World Bank programs in Guinea. 
Topics they discussed included a dispute over payment for 
upcoming financial audits of the government sector, the 
ballooning size of the cabinet, and a car purchased with 
World Bank funds that had been recently commandeered by the 
military.  Bakayoko said he left the meeting frustrated, 
angry, and with the conviction that he does not "have a clue 
who's running the government."  END SUMMARY. 
 
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DADIS PROMISES WORLD BANK FUNDS FOR AUDITS...WITHOUT ASKING 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Earlier this week, CNDD President Dadis Camara 
announced several audits of government institutions which he 
promised that the World Bank would fund.  Upon hearing this, 
World Bank Country Manager Siaka Bakyoko requested a meeting 
with Prime Minister Kabine Komara to tell him that that the 
Bank had never been approached about financing any audits. 
In fact, Bakayoko said the Bank currently has no fund from 
which it could allocate the money.  The PM countered that 
Dadis Camara really meant that the junta would soon approach 
the Bank about the possibility of securing funds for that 
purpose.  Bakayoko responded, "But that's not what he said in 
his speech." 
 
------------------- 
TOO LARGE A CABINET 
------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Bakayoko similarly questioned the prime minister 
about the ballooning size of his cabinet.  Though the PM had 
privately promised to reduce the number of ministers from 36 
to about 20, the new cabinet contains 33 ministers, with 
three new ministers announced only this week (septel). 
Bakayoko told Econoff that the PM tried to justify the new 
members, but "was not very convincing."  The Resrep said he 
was worried that the large number of ministers could 
jeopardize the government's repeated promises of fiscal 
responsibility and an upcoming WB loan payment due at the end 
of January. 
 
---------------- 
PROJECTS ON HOLD 
---------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) In an effort to avoid the appearance of supporting 
the recent coup, Bakayoko told Econoff that WB Headquarters 
had recently instructed him "to avoid to the extent possible" 
any dealings with the CNDD junta.  However, headquarters 
authorized interactions with the prime minister and his 
civilian cabinet.  Additionally, he said his headquarters has 
placed on hold all World Bank projects--both those in the 
implementation stages and in the pipeline.  He also noted 
that the military junta recently had frozen the local bank 
accounts of all World Bank implementing partners.  Partners 
use these accounts to receive project funds from the Bank, 
and cannot continue even day-to-day operations without them. 
The CNDD has also frozen many accounts held by groups working 
on European Union development projects. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Bakayoko noted that the Bank is continuing to 
coordinate its response to ongoing events with ECOWAS.  He 
said the Bank would not resume its programs until either the 
CNDD left power or until a broad spectrum of civil society 
leaders had signaled that civilian control was imminent. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
WORLD BANK VEHICLE IMPRESSED INTO DADIS' MOTORCADE 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶6. (SBU) According to Bakayoko, what angered and frustrated 
him most about the meeting was the PM's reaction to a recent 
military theft.  About one week ago, soldiers reportedly 
commandeered at gunpoint a small truck that the World Bank 
had purchased for a local partner.  When the group tried to 
present evidence of ownership to officials at Camp Alpha 
Yaya, soldiers there told them in no uncertain terms that 
they could not recover the vehicle.  The PM told Bakayoko 
that he would have his cabinet chief look into the matter, a 
response that infuriated Bakayoko and suggested to him that 
the prime minister was now effectively under the military's 
thumb.  The truck has reportedly been sighted taking part in 
 
CONAKRY 00000058  002 OF 002 
 
 
presidential motorcades. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Bakayoko's attitude toward his work has undergone a 
marked change since his arrival in country.  Though upbeat 
about the prospects for Guinea's future only four months ago, 
recent events seem to have had a significant sobering effect. 
Throughout the conversation, his tone veered between shock at 
the "military boys'" growing impunity to frustration with 
governmental disorganization in general.  Bakayoko said he 
left his meeting with the PM feeling frustrated, angry, and 
with the conviction that he does not "have a clue who's 
running the government."  END COMMENT. 
RASPOLIC