NIGERIA ASSURES NIGER ON MUTINEERS

C O N F I D E N T I A L ABUJA 002428

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/15/2012
TAGS: MOPS PREL NI NG
SUBJECT: NIGERIA ASSURES NIGER ON MUTINEERS


CLASSIFIED BY AMBASSADOR HOWARD F. JETER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B &
D).



1. (U) Responding to a request from the Niger Republic,
Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sule Lamido promised
that Nigeria would apprehend the approximately 100 Nigerien
mutineers and return them to Niamey. Lamido, however,
lamented the difficulty of identifying Nigerien soldiers
among the residents of the border region. "If they remove
their uniforms, it is easy to melt into the crowd," he
commented.



2. (C) According to press reports, Yobe State has
mobilized extra patrols on its border with Niger at Nguru,
Karasuwa and Geidam, the areas of the state nearest the
recent Nigerien revolt at Diffa. Some Embassy contacts
speculate that the mutineers might try to cross the border
in the tri-state region near Lake Chad in Borno state
rather than near Yobe. One commented, "The (Lake Chad)
region has been the home to many dissident factions from
Chad over the years and Nigerian control of its territory
in that area remains weak."



3. (C) COMMENT: The Nigerian police and military face
many pressing tasks and the GON has no wish to harbor the
rebels. However, barring a chance encounter along the
remote border between the two countries, Nigeria's security
forces are unlikely to launch a sustained operation to
identify and apprehend the Nigeriens. Moreover, in a brief
encounter with Ambassador Jeter, the Nigerien DATT said
that Niamey now thinks that most of the rebels fled to Chad
and not Nigeria.
JETER