Alliance Guinea » Dadis

US State Department – NGO discussion on Guinea: Guarded optimism

Alliance Guinea — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:48:20 +0000

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.

Falsehood has perished and Truth has triumphed

Alliance Guinea — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:00:18 +0000

Dadis, December 2008 (from africa-terror.blogspot.com)

Moussa Dadis Camara declared on Sunday January 17, 2010 in Burkina Faso that he accepted to sign the declaration made on January 15, 2010 without any outside influences. He exhorted supporters to regain their houses calmly and bring the support necessary in a peaceful transition in Guinea under the auspice of Sekouba Konate.

This represents a major breakthrough in the crisis that continues to plague the innocent population of Guinea. The leader of the CNDD has finally faced the fact that only truth prevails and falsehood shines momentary before its doom. Dadis demeanor and speech sharply show that he can no longer lead and only time can tell if he will fully recover from his injuries.

Hopefully, those who are still reluctant to face this reality must know that the whole CNDD saga was just another tragic event with consequences of staggering proportion. Those who are responsible for the September 28th massacre shall account for their acts. It’s only the beginning of end for them.

Sekou Konde for Alliance Guinea

Between Dadis and Konate, who will be in charge now?

nasser — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:14:02 +0000

The situation in Guinea continues to raise doubts and concerns. Captain Moussa Dadis Camara, who was hospitalized in Morocco, has arrived in Burkina Faso. The reasons for this trip are for the moment not understood. Even if some are quick to associate it with the speech given on January 6 by General Sékouba Konaté. Will this speech, which brings hope and is highly praised by all constituents of the nation, be put into practice with eventual cooperation between Captain Dadis and General Konaté?

Today around 5:30pm a delegation led by General Konaté, Colonel Korka and the minister of foreign affairs Alexandre Cécé Loua went to Ouagadougou to meet Captain Dadis. This meeting will undoubtedly set once again Guinea’s fate.

On the other side the Forces Vives met at the house of Jean Marie Doré – for whom the post of Prime Minister is very likely – and decided to work quicker to take the hand extended by General Sékouba Konaté. This hand risks interception by Captain Dadis Camara, which will return Guinea to its original cage, which would be truly a shame. In any case we will see more clearly whether Captain Camara or General Konaté actually leads Guinea.

Regardless, Dadis’ approach is not fortuitous for the same reasons as the hand held out by Sékouba Konaté. Undoubtedly the two men are good friends but don’t share the same vision and maybe no longer even fight for the same cause. Dadis’ short absence illustrated this difference in all its glory. The differences between the two men are enormous, even if in Guinea diverse groups are brought together by demagoguery and bad luck. The Guinean people hope that the good faith of the General, if it actually is good, will dominate over the unspoken intentions of Captain Dadis, who became drunk on power. Life is full of choices, thus Konaté must justify his choice and above all to meet it, and the Forces Vives must continue to apply pressure.

Nasser Diallo

The White House with ECOWAS: The CNDD must go

Alliance Guinea — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:15:31 +0000

From today’s White House statement on the October 17 ECOWAS summit:

The United States strongly supports the Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) decision to impose an arms embargo on Guinea and to work with the African Union to develop a regime of targeted sanctions against individuals. We welcome this action, to address the growing crisis in the region. The United States continues to condemn the brutal murders and rapes which occurred on September 28 in Guinea and calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the United Nations Commission of Inquiry charged with investigating the violence. We will continue to work with our international partners and the ECOWAS/African Union-appointed facilitator, President Blaise Compaore of Burkina Faso, to urge the junta in Conakry to step aside and allow for the establishment of a transitional authority that can lead the country toward credible elections.

Alliance Guinea salutes the White House’s categorical language that Dadis and the CNDD must go and that ECOWAS and the African Union must remain strong in their resolve to enforce the measures needed to move this transition forward.

The delay tactics of the CNDD

Mamadi — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:28:03 +0000

Currently some shady maneuvers, long in the planning, are being put into play.
1st Maneuver: Since the country realized that the CNDD and Captain Moussa Dadis Camara are the executors of Lansana Conte’s will, Guineans have expressed their disgust to this band of killers. Thus the need to kill a hundred youth manifesting their right to live off of their countries’ wealth. Each Guinean will remember how the repression turned into the massacre of protestors on the 28th of September at the stadium bearing the same name. In this Guinea where those guilty of economic and blood crimes are declared innocent as long as they are military personnel or generous with their ill gotten Dollars or Euros with members of the junta. The legitimate aspiration of the people has been turned into a scheme to enrich members of a shady military oligarchy. It is claimed everywhere that we are fighting narcotraffickers. But it is just to substitute other networks that are as mafia-like as the ones we pretend to have destroyed. Clever but dishonest. One has to wonder if this is the “Officer’s promise” of the bloodthirsty Captain Dadis and his band of killers. To summarize: the alliance between custom dodging traders and soldiers (captains, majors and lieutenants) is a reality. It is the primary way that narcotraffickers are resettling in Guinea.
2nd maneuver: The usual red flag about imaginary rebels ready to attack Guinea’s borders. The country is determined to kick out the junta whose principals are the murderers of January and February 2007 as well as 28th September 2009. The treasury is broke, pillaged by the friends of the CNDD. Each member of the junta has his own private army. In fact, Dadis and his CNDD are making fun of Guineans. Political activities have been banned including the slightest movement by a political leader. This pathetic scheme has another benefit. To stop unwanted protests, weapons and therefore lots of money is needed. This arouses the interest of China for our country or better yet the country’s wealth, the Chinese government, for example, could provide a bunch of soldiers millions of dollars and weapons. The narcotraffickers stand ready to assist in this business. It is much easier to deal with illiterate soldiers seeking instant gratification than to negotiate with a team of patriots with great credentials. In the former, one can expect a 100-fold increase in investment in the short term. In the latter, the entire country is awakened to its capacity for action. The pillaging networks become harder to establish. There is no guarantee that one can successfully implement them without being noticed.
The people wanted to express its disapproval of the junta yet the world is now witness to the massacre of more than 150 Guineans by the Guinean Army. The CNDD is a band of killers. Guineans believe that the time for civil disobedience has arrived since obeying orders from the CNDD is akin to accepting orders from a Claude PIVI or a vulgar vengeful Moussa Dadis Camara.
Each Guinean has as much legitimacy as Moussa Dadis, maybe more so. We have never killed a fellow citizen. Guinea is at the crossroads and the pages of history are being written as we watch. The time has arrived for Guineans to unite for a new strategy of victory, positive change and renewal for a better Guinea deserving of its economic potential. This new strategy of change will rely on a deep aspiration for a political system that will put the “Guinean Citizen” at the heart of everything, along with the importance of quality of life.
Fatalism is taking hold after 50 years of independence. Nobody believes in anything anymore yet chatter fills the air with verbiage. The lack of competency at the top of the CNDD is obvious.
We call upon Guineans to embrace a new vision of politics, open and brotherly. It is the ultimate and ideal moment to build a different political system that will make way for reform, take into account the aspirations of the masses in all of its complexities, understand the realities of our time and draw the lessons for the well being of the nation. 50 years of perdition has caused a chronic political instability, an atmosphere of violence with its cohort of suffering and misery, losses in human life, institutional deficiencies both social and economic, destroyed families, broken dreams, tears and despair. The time has come to take a new orientation that will put an end to the long agony of the Guinean people.
May God protect Guinea and Guineans.

Gassimou Diallo
(Droit Pour Tous en Guinée)

Dadis: Profile of a Junta Leader

Alliance Guinea — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:18:39 +0000

France 24′s revealing exposé of Captain Moussa Dadis Camara in the days following the September 28 massacre. Includes the famous interview session with the leader in bed, footage of families searching in vain for their lost loved ones, testimonials of soldiers explaining why they don’t question their leader and what Dadis thinks should happen next.