VZCZCXRO7154
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0570/01 2591519
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 161519Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4053
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000570 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: BEXP BTIO EAID OEXC OIIP PGOV PHUM PREL SCUL GPI GV
SUBJECT: DIASPORA ENGAGEMENT - RESPONSE FROM GUINEA 
 
REF: SECSTATE 86401 
 
¶1. Per reftel request, below are Embassy Conakry's responses 
to the Department's inquiry about the Guinean Diaspora: 
 
 
A: The Guinean diaspora are identifiable communities 
primarily based in Senegal, France, Mali, the United States, 
Canada and the United Arab Emirates. The existing diaspora 
networks are most accessible in the form of political 
websites, including some widely read news and blog sites 
about current political affairs. 
 
 
B: The connection of the diaspora community to the host 
country is most evident in the form of financial support. 
Although it is difficult to track foreign remittances due to 
their informal nature, recorded worker remittances into 
Guinea accounted for about 1.3% of GDP in 2006. Many 
development specialists, however, believe that the amount is 
actually  more significant. Guineans abroad are often seen as 
having much more expendable capital than their relatives in 
country and are often solicited for financial support. 
 
The diaspora community is very active in internal country 
politics. A majority of Guinea's most widely read internet 
news sites are organized/edited by Guineans abroad. A number 
of political opposition parties seek their funding primarily 
from the diaspora community in Senegal, France, and the 
United States. In the aftermath of violent demonstrations in 
2007, Guineans reportedly appealed to their families and 
friends living abroad for relief support and political 
funding. 
 
 
C: In 1985, the GOG created the State Secretariat for 
Guineans Abroad, which was incorporated into the Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs in 1997. On August 19, 2009, the Secretariat 
was recreated by junta leader Moussa Dadis Camara. Although 
the role of the State Secretariat for Guineans Abroad is 
still unclear, its predecessor organizations were used 
primarily for bilateral immigration advocacy issues, 
including repatriation and illegal immigration concerns. 
 
 
D: The diaspora community, while responsible for private 
remittances, seems to have little involvement in community 
development including in business, job creation, and capacity 
building. A common trend among Guineans abroad is to invest 
in building housing for themselves and their families in 
Guinea, rather than in wide-scale community development. 
Remittances are also sometimes used for the construction of 
new mosques. 
 
Having noted this trend, many of Guinea's business and civil 
society leaders were educated abroad or started their careers 
outside of Guinea. Though they were once part of the diaspora 
community, but have since returned, their contribution is 
still worth highlighting as a greater trend among the 
diaspora community. With greater opportunities for education 
and occupational training, individuals among the diaspora who 
return are often able to take leadership positions within 
their industry or field of expertise. Many of Guinea's 
political and economic leaders who lived or were educated 
outside of Guinea at one point are still perceived to be part 
of the diaspora community, despite their current residence 
in-country. 
 
 
E: Due to a coup d,etat in December 2008, the USG does not 
facilitate or administer programming that is not directly 
related to support for democracy or humanitarian projects. 
 
F: As detailed above, the diaspora community is highly 
politically active. However, there is no information on 
diaspora involvement in peace building/conflict resolution. 
 
 
G: N/A 
 
 
H: The GOG currently plans to hold elections in January 2010, 
although the date has not been officially announced. The 
diaspora community is already heavily involved in preparation 
for these elections through means of political news websites 
and contributions toward political campaigns, as detailed 
above. In addition, the GOG is planning to register Guineans 
abroad to vote in the upcoming election, which is the first 
time such registration has taken place. 
 
CONAKRY 00000570  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
 
I: The former ruling regime of Lansana Conte paid scant 
attention to the diaspora community at large, and they were 
often seen as the biggest threat to his power. Since the coup 
in January 2008, the CNDD has made several references to the 
importance of the diapsora to Guinea's economic and political 
success. However, many perceive the new attention paid to the 
diaspora as being politically motivated. The community is 
heavily involved in democracy promotion and sometimes 
inspires internal pro-democracy voices. As such, the 
government may see the community as a necessary means of 
support for the upcoming election. 
 
 
J: N/A 
 
 
K: A small number of Guinean-American citizens have contacted 
the Commercial Office at Post by email to inquire about 
investment opportunities in Guinea. In accordance with 
standard fee structures controlled by the US Commercial 
Service, Post must charge a fee to clients interested in 
using these services. As such, many Guinean-American 
businesses choose to inquire about investment opportunities 
through other channels after learning about the fee. The 
Political Section of the Embassy is sometimes contacted by 
members of the diaspora community to discuss democracy 
promotion and political views. Some influential members of 
the diaspora community are connected to internal political 
parties. 
 
 
L: N/A 
 
 
M: In the interest of Public Affairs programming, it would be 
helpful to create a database of Guineans living in the United 
States, with attention paid to their area of 
expertise/vocation. With such a database, the PAO, though 
IIP, could contact perspective speakers to present at various 
events. Since the Guinean-American diaspora community is 
knowledgeable about both Guinea and the US, they could 
potentially become a strong asset to PAO sponsored events. 
This database could also be used for reach-back programming 
to academics. 
 
 
¶2. POC: Briana Warner, Economic Officer: warnerbm@state.gov, 
 224.65.10.4141 
BROKENSHIRE