VZCZCXRO4522
PP RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHRY #0590/01 2681353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 251353Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4083
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CONAKRY 000590 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM ASEC GV
SUBJECT: CIVIL DEMONSTRATIONS UP COUNTRY, PEOPLE WORRIED 
ABOUT MONDAY 
 
REF: CONAKRY 0587 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY.  Protests/demonstrations took place in 
three distinctly different parts of the country on September 
24, all of them connected to CNDD efforts to organize 
pro-Dadis political rallies.  In Labe, thousands of people 
peacefully took to the streets to protest CNDD efforts to 
rally support in anticipation of a Dadis visit to the region 
on September 26.  In Siguiri, pro-CNDD youths clashed with 
youths from opposition parties while in Guekedou, local 
authorities forcibly closed local businesses after traders 
refused to comply with a request to help clean up the city 
for a pro-Dadis rally.  Meanwhile, many contacts seem to be 
worried about what is expected to be a "significant" 
demonstration in Conakry on September 28.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------- 
DADIS' CANDIDACY NOT WELCOME HERE 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On September 24, at least three different 
politically charged demonstrations took place in the interior 
of the country.  In Labe, which is predominantly Peuhl and 
widely seen as the stronghold of political support for UFDG 
(Union of Guinean Democratic Forces) party leader Cellou 
Dalein Diallo, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets 
in anticipation of CNDD President Moussa Dadis Camara's 
planned September 26 visit to the regional capital. 
According to sources, there were between 6,000 and 20,000 
demonstrators, but the exact number is unknown. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Labe demonstration started in the early 
morning, was conducted peacefully, and ended in the early 
afternoon.  Local businesses were closed and police and 
gendarmes were on site.  Available information indicates that 
security forces behaved responsibly and there were no 
incidents of violence.  One contact reported that twelve 
youths were briefly arrested and detained, but released 
within a few hours. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Local press reports claim that the citizens of Labe 
decided to organize a demonstration as a message to Dadis 
after they heard that he was planning a pro-CNDD political 
rally in the their.  There were reportedly rumors that the 
CNDD planned to transport people from the villages 
surrounding Labe to the regional capital in order to 
demonstrate how popular Dadis is in the Fouta Region.  One 
resident reportedly said "we can receive Dadis as the 
President of Guinea, but not Dadis as the junta's candidate." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Another Embassy contact told A/PAO that the Labe 
demonstrators were planning further protests over the next 
few days, but details were sketchy.  The Contact indicated 
that some of the Labe demonstrators would travel to 
neighboring Mamou (about two hours away) to organize 
demonstrations there. 
 
---------------------- 
NO DADIS T-SHIRTS HERE 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) A few hundred kilometers to the east, violent 
clashes reportedly broke out in Siguiri (Upper Guinea) when 
local residents discovered that a CNDD delegation was 
distributing Dadis T-shirts in an attempt to rally support 
for the CNDD.  The delegation reportedly included Dadis' wife 
and the CNDD Permanent Secretary, Commandant Moussa Keita. 
Supporters of the Alpha Conde led RPG party (Rally for the 
Guinean People) and the Sidya Toure led UFR party (Union of 
Republican Forces) reportedly said they would rather wear 
T-shirts displaying photographs of their own political 
candidates rather than that of Dadis.  Fistfights broke out 
between pro-CNDD youths and members of opposition political 
parties.  Embassy has not received any further information as 
to the extent of the violence. 
 
---------------------------- 
EVEN IN THE FOREST REGION... 
---------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) In the town of Guekedou (Forest Region), local 
traders clashed with security forces when military personnel 
attempted to close down the market for the entire day.  The 
Mayor and the Prefect were reportedly planning to organize a 
rally to support Dadis' candidacy and had demanded that 
vendors shut down their businesses in order to participate in 
a campaign to clean up the city in anticipation of the rally. 
 Some vendors defied the order, saying that they had not been 
 
CONAKRY 00000590  002 OF 002 
 
 
informed in advance.  Local authorities reportedly ordered 
the military to forcibly close the businesses.  No 
information was available as to whether there were arrests or 
injuries as a result. 
 
----------------- 
LOOKING TO MONDAY 
----------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Meanwhile, socio-political actors in the capital 
continue to discuss plans for what many expect to be a 
"significant" demonstration on September 28.  The CNDD's 
order to close the stadium, which was the site initially 
proposed to launch a Forces Vives rally (reftel), does not 
seem to have deterred anyone.  Aboubacar Syllah, political 
party leader and communications director for Les Forces 
Vives, told A/DCM that the Forces Vives still plans to go 
forward with the demonstration, which is supposed to start at 
8:00 Monday morning.  However, he was heading to a Forces 
Vives meeting at the time, saying that he would advise the 
Embassy if the plan changed. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) A youth contact told A/DCM that the Embassy should 
expect "major activity" on Monday.  "This is not a couple 
thousand people...we plan to mobilize in force to demonstrate 
once and for all that we will no longer accept the CNDD," he 
said, drawing analogies with the situation in early 2007 when 
the population demanded that former President Conte step down 
from power.  "We need a true transition government...we asked 
for it in 2007 and we are going to demand it now." 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) Embassy contacts have been warning of the 
likelihood of a surge of anti-junta protests to follow the 
end of Ramadan on September 20.  The early part of the week 
was quiet, but three different events in three distinctly 
different parts of the country on Thursday may indicate that 
more protests/demonstrations are likely in the weeks ahead. 
Many people seem to be worried about what may happen on 
Monday with the Forces Vives' anticipated demonstration. 
Members of the diplomatic corp have expressed concern and 
there are indications that the French School may preemptively 
close its school on Monday.  At this point, it is difficult 
to anticipate whether a mass demonstration will actually take 
place, or if it will ultimately end up being a few hundred 
people, or if it will simply be called off.  Embassy is 
holding an EAC today and will continue to monitor the 
situation.  END COMMENT. 
BROKENSHIRE