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US State Department – NGO discussion on Guinea: Guarded optimism
At the March 5 State Department briefing led by Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs William Fitzgerald, members of Alliance Guinea joined with a couple dozen representatives of American and US-based Guinean NGOs for an off-the-record discussion on the current situation in Guinea. The general feeling is that the current climate is much better given the establishment of the new government and concrete movement towards elections – but that the situation still must be monitored very closely.
The primary focus of the briefing and subsequent question and answer discussion was squarely on the presidential elections, now set for June 27 – clearly the State Department’s top priority in Guinea at this time. With some concern that there may be threats to the elections from spoilers upset with waning CNDD power, the importance of even simply civil-political observers from ECOWAS (as is permitted by the Ouagadougou accord signed January 15 by Dadis, Konaté and Compaoré) was discussed – and emphasized by Alliance Guinea members.
The briefing also discussed concern around the ambitiousness of the June 27 election date, given the formidable registration and logistical preparations that are still needed and the added challenge of the rainy season starting soon. Overall, however, the State Department seemed confident that there is considerable international support and financing going to what are understood to be historic elections in Guinea – and the first step towards long-term political, governance and economic reform. In addition, it was emphasized that per the Ouagadougou accord, neither Prime Minister Jean-Marie Doré nor any other member of the interim government should be planning a presidential bid.
During the briefing the importance of security sector reform (SSR) was also discussed, especially given how intertwined military power and political power has been in Guinea for decades. The emphasis was on the following the lead of ECOWAS and the Guinean security forces themselves – and the critical need for disarmament, demobilization and reintegration work to ensure that soldiers exiting the armed forces can then enter viable livelihoods. It was understood that while this process needs to start now, that full SSR in Guinea will be a long-term process over the course of several years rather than months.
With all of the focus on the political transition in Guinea, the sense from the briefing is that the US is focusing first on the elections and only then on justice for the September 28 crimes against humanity and other human rights violations committed in Guinea. Alliance Guinea members raised concern that while it is understandable to set priorities and consider a strategic chronology of action, that it was essential that the justice and human rights objectives not be forgotten in the meanwhile as far too often been the case. Discussants agreed that more work could be done in the meanwhile to strengthen local human rights groups in Guinea and to begin judicial reform. The US also supports the ICC’s ongoing investigation into the crimes.
The briefing left us Alliance members in attendance with the sense that the State Department’s Africa Bureau is taking the Guinea transition process seriously, despite the many other difficult issues elsewhere in Africa and around the world currently competing with US government attention. It will be critical, however, for all of us to work to ensure that this remains the case – and that US and other international support does not begin and end with this one election alone.