VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHRY #0102/01 0471547
ZNR UUUUU ZZH (CCY AD240975 MSI1289-695)
O 161547Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY CONAKRY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4470
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS CONAKRY 000102 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
C O R R E C T E D COPY CAPTION 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC GV
SUBJECT: PM DORE APPOINTS A NEW GOVERNMENT 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: Nearly one month after his appointment as 
Prime Minister, Jean Marie Dore announced a new 34 person 
government on February 15 at 2000 hours. The government is 
comprised of ten political party representatives, ten 
representatives from civil society, ten from the CNDD, and 
four from the business community. The ethnic balance of the 
government includes five ministers of Soussou origin, eight 
Malinke, six Forestier, eleven Peuhl (Fulani), and four 
ministers of mixed or minority ethnicity. Political leaders 
generally support the appointments, despite expressing 
reservations about certain individuals appointed. Speaking 
almost in unison, political leaders said that the 
transition's job is to move elections forward, so arguing 
over the government's composition would be unproductive. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Ministry appointments are as follows: 
 
- Minister of Security and Civil Protection - Mamadou "Toto" 
Camara. Toto served as First Vice President and Minister of 
Security under Dadis Camara. A Soussou, Camara was initially 
seen as a close ally of Dadis, but was eventually 
marginalized by the junta (reftel A). 
 
 
- Minister of Foreign Affairs  - Bakary FofQa. Fofana is a 
Malinke who most recently held the position of (acting) 
President of the Civil Society Organizations. Fofana was 
formerly the Program Director for USAID election contractor 
IFES. 
 
- Minister of Public Functions, Administrative Reform, and 
Employment - Penda Diallo. Penda is a Peuhl who is a member 
of the executive office of the National Confederation of 
Guinean workers (CNTG) union, which is headed by current CNT 
president Rabiatou Diallo. Penda was active in organizing the 
2007 union strikes.  (reftel B) 
 
- Minister of Territorial Administration and Political 
Affairs (MATAP) - Nawa Damey. Damey is a Mano from the Forest 
Region of Guinea who has worked in the government since Sekou 
Toure's presidency. Damey served as the Prefect of Beyla, 
Siguiri, and Kaerouana as well as the Governor of Boke. Damey 
was removed from his position as Governor immediately after 
the December 2008 coup. 
 
- Minister of Justice - Siba Lohalamou. Lohalamou, a Guerze 
from the Forest Region, was appointed as Minister of Justice 
by Dadis Camara in January, 2009. Lohalamou is widely seen to 
have been complacent in the allowing the parallel justice 
system under the CNDD. 
 
- Minister of Decentralization and Local Development - Aly 
Gilbert Ifono. Ifono is a Kissien from Guinea's Forest Region 
who has taught history at the University of Conakry for a 
majority of his career. Ifono served a short term as Minister 
of Art and Culture under the Souare government. 
 
- Minister of Energy and Hydroelectric Power - Commandant 
Mamdou Sande. Sande is from a minority ethnic group in 
Koundara who served as the Minister of Finance and Economy 
under the CNDD. During Dadis, presidency, the Ministry of 
Finance was placed under the direction of the President 
rather than the PM, and Sande is thought to have facilitated 
the embezzlement of funds by CNDD members. 
 
- Minister of Finance and Economy - Kerfalla Yansane. 
Yansane, a Soussou, was the Governor of the Central Bank from 
1985 to 1996. 
 
 
- Minister of Mines and Geology - Mahmoud Thiam. Thiam, an 
American citizen, was appointed in this position in January, 
2009 by Dadis Camara. Prior to working under the CNDD, Thiam 
was a vice-president at UBS bank in New York City. Thiam was 
responsible for facilitating the GOG-Chinese International 
Fund (CIF) infrastructure deal that provided millions of 
dollars to the CNDD government. He is thought to be a close 
ally to Papa Koly Korouma, Claude Pivi, and Dadis Camara. 
 
 
- Minister of Agriculture - Lieutenant-Colonel Keletigui 
Faro. Faro is a Malinke who previously served as the 
Secretary General of the Presidency under Dadis Camara. 
 
 
- Minister of Fisheries - Colonel Mamadou Korka Diallo. The 
Minister of Commerce under the CNDD, Diallo was widely seen 
as ineffective in his position with Commerce. 
 
 
- Minister of Post Offices, Telecommunications, and New 
Technologies - Talibe Diallo. Also a Peuhl, Diallo was the 
Secretary General in the Ministry of Agriculture for several 
years under the Conte regime. 
 
 
- Minister of Construction and Urban Planning - Mansour Kaba. 
Kaba, who has lived in South Africa for the majority of the 
last ten years, is the Malinke leader of the DUIMA political 
party. 
 
 
- Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation - Zenab 
Saifon Diallo. Ms. Diallo was appointed to this position in 
January, 2009. 
 
 
- Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research - 
Ghandi Tounkara. Tounkara is a Malinke member of Francois 
Fall,s FUDEC party. Although this is his first government 
position, Tounkara worked as a commercial and information 
specialist for the UK Embassy in Guinea for many years. 
 
 
- Minister of Pre-university and Civic Education - Amadou 
Lelouma Diallo. During the Conte regime, Diallo was the 
Deputy Director of Conte's PUP party until his resignation in 
2005 and subsequent transfer to Sidya Toure's UFR party. 
 
 
- Minister of Technical Education and Professional Training - 
Mamdou Saliou Bella Diallo. Saliou, a Pediatrician, is a 
Peuhl member of Cellou Diallo's UFDG party. 
 
 
- Minister of Environment - Georges Gnankoye Delamou. Delamou 
is a member of Jean Marie Dore's UPG party. This is Delamou's 
first government position and his background is in the 
banking sector. 
 
 
- Minister of Public Works - Yamoudou Toure. Toure is a 
high-ranking member of the USTG workers union. 
 
 
- Minister of Commerce, Industry, and the Promotion of the 
Private Sector - Mamadou Niare. Niare is a Malinke member who 
is closely associated with the CNDD. In 1996, Niare was 
appointed as an advisor to the Office of the Secretary 
General of Commerce where he remained until 2008 when he was 
appointed technical advisQ to the PM office. In 2009, Niare 
became Advisor to the Minister of Commerce in charge of the 
petroleum sector. 
 
 
- Minister of Health and Public Hygiene - Dr. Ibrahima Sow. 
During the Conte Presidency, Sow worked as the coordinator of 
Alpha Conde's RPG party, of which he is still a member. He 
was also the Deputy of the National Assembly after the first 
Presidential elections in Guinea. 
 
 
- Minister of Economic Control and Audits - Kerfala Camara. 
Camara is a Malinke he formerly worked in the debt service 
department of the Ministry of Finance. 
 
- Minister of National Solidarity and the Promotion of Women 
and Children - Nanfadima Magassouba. Magassouba is of mixed 
Peuhl/Malinke origin and is the founder of the Guinean 
Coalition of Women Activists. 
 
- Minister of Micro-Finance, the Informal Sector, and Youth 
Employment - Mariam Beavogui. 
 
- Minister of Information - Aboubacar Sylla. 
 
- Minister of Tourism and Hotels - Sy Mariame Diallo. Sy is a 
civil society member who owns one of the largest travel 
agencies in Guinea. She is also responsible for organizing 
the Festival de la Guinee every year. 
 
- Minister of Literacy and the Promotion of National 
Languages - El Hadj Bamba Camara. Camara is a Malinke member 
of the teachers, union. 
 
- Minister of Youth and Sports - Thierno Aliou Diaoune. Prior 
to the formation of the transition government, several rumors 
circulated within local media that Diaoune would be named as 
Dore's MATAP minister. Diaoune is the long time director of 
development NGO "Action Aid." 
 
- Minister of Arts and Culture - Fodeba Keira Isto. Isto was 
the Minister of Youth and Sports under Dadis Camara and was a 
mobilizing figure among the youth "Dadis doit rester," (Dadis 
must stay) movement. Isto is thought to be very close to both 
Dadis and Interim President Sekouba Konate. 
 
- Minister of Livestock - Mouctar Diallo. Diallo, a Peuhl, is 
an influential youth leader who is the president of the NFD 
party. (NOTE: His appointment to this ill-matched ministry 
came as a surprise to Diallo and other observers. END NOTE.) 
 
- Minister of Transport - Colonel Mathurin Bangoura. A 
Soussou, Bangoura was the Minister of Telecommunications 
under the CNDD. 
 
- Minister of Guineans Abroad - Lucien Mbendou Guilao. Guilao 
is of Toma origin from the Forest Region of Guinea and this 
is his first government position. Guilao previously worked 
for Total Guinea. 
 
- Secretary General of Religious Affairs - Koutoubou Sano. A 
Malinke Muslim, Sano was appointed to this position in 
January 2009. 
 
- Secretary General of the Government - Sekou Kissing Camara. 
Camara is thought to be close to Dadis and Konate, and has 
held this position since the 2008 coup d'etat 
 
 
¶3. (SBU) Several political leaders have expressed their 
support for the newly appointed government, highlighting that 
many of the Dadis "extremists" were not named as ministers. 
In conversations with EmbOffs, the leaders universally argued 
that the job of the transition government is to lead Guinea 
toward elections. As a result, political leaders don't find 
it necessary to gripe about appointments with which they 
disagree. 
 
 
¶4. (SBU) However, in mentioning that the presidential cabinet 
is to be announced today, many political leaders expressed 
their concern that CNDD hard-liners could be included into 
the government through the Office of the President. They also 
reiterated that the Prime Minister's office must remain in 
charge of all the ministries, without interference from the 
Office of the President, in order for the transition to be 
effective. 
 
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COMMENT 
------- 
 
 
¶5. (SBU) That a government has been appointed is a relief, 
albeit the numerous delays in forming it. Notably, political 
leaders, members of the government, and civil society 
reckoned that Dadis' closest compatriots were stubbornly 
resisting giving up their mostly ministerial positions. As a 
result, Emboffs waited expectantly without result of five 
consecutive nights to hear that the new government had been 
announced. Though the new government elicited relatively few 
complaints from political leaders and civil society, the 
reaction after the President's cabinet is announced 
presumably later this afternoon, may more accurately predict 
the support civil society and others will extend to the 
Konate-Dore interim government. Most observers think the 
interim President will keep the Dadis hard-liners as members 
of his Presidential cabinet - close enough to watch and 
neutralize them. 
Moller