MIST SPORTS CARAVAN SCORES HIGH MARKS IN NIGER

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000898

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

STATE FOR AF/RSA AND AF/W (BACHMAN) FROM AMBASSADOR ALLEN

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: MARR KPAO PREL ASEC EAID SCUL KCOR NG

SUBJECT: MIST SPORTS CARAVAN SCORES HIGH MARKS IN NIGER

REF: STATE 131554

(U) 1. SUMMARY. THE AUGUST SPORTS CARAVAN SHOWCASING THE NIGERIEN
JUNIOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL AND SOCCER TEAMS AGAINST THE NATIONAL AND
REGIONAL SPORTS TEAMS AROUND THE THEME, "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" (ONE
FAMILY, ONE NIGER),HAS SCORED HIGH MARKS ACROSS NIGER. IT ALSO
FEATURES AN ACTING COMPANY (TROUPE MOURNA) THAT IS PERFORMING SKITS
ON THE CARAVAN THEME. THE EVENTS HAVE RECEIVED POSITIVE, EXTENSIVE
MEDIA COVERAGE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF AUGUST. EMBASSY DELEGATION'S
TRAVEL COVERS SEVEN OF NINE SPORTS VENUES TO PROMOTE THE MESSAGES OF
TOLERANCE, GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ANTI-CORRUPTION. NATIONAL, REGIONAL
AND CIVIC LEADERS HAVE PARTICULARLY EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR A
THEME THAT PROMOTES NATIONAL UNITY. THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE
APPARENTLY STRUCK A SENSITIVE NERVE AT ONE GOVERNMENT MINISTRY, AS
REPORTEDLY A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MANAGER WAS INSTRUCTED TO STOP THE
PRINTING OF A COMIC STRIP THE EMBASSY HAD PLACED IN THE NEWSPAPER.

TO DATE, THE SPORTS CARAVAN HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL
VEHICLES IN NIGER TO CARRY THE MESSAGE OF DEMOCRACY, SO MUCH SO,
THAT LEADERS, SPORTS ENTHUSIASTS AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, NIGERIEN
YOUTH, ARE CALLING FOR ANOTHER CARAVAN NEXT YEAR. MOREOVER, OTHER
SPORTS FEDERATIONS HAVE MADE INQUIRIES AS TO HOW THEY MIGHT BE
CONSIDERED FOR A SIMILAR ACTIVITY.
END SUMMARY.

(U) 2. AN EMBASSY DELEGATION (AMBASSADOR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER,
REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER AND/OR THE RELEVANT FSNS) PARTICIPATED IN
A TOUR COVERING SEVEN OF NINE CARAVAN VENUES IN NIGER: BASKETBALL IN
NIAMEY, ZINDER, MARADI, KONNI AND DOSSO (AUG 6-13); SOCCER IN NIAMEY
(AUG 15) AND DIFFA (ETA AUG 26). PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE ALSO HAS
PROVIDED SUPPORT TO ENSURE MEDIA COVERAGE AT TWO ADDITIONAL SOCCER
VENUES: TAHOUA AND AGADEZ (AUG 21-23).

(U) 3. MEMBERS OF THE NIGERIEN JUNIOR NATIONAL BASKETBALL AND
SOCCER TEAMS PLAYED AGAINST THE RESPECTIVE NATIONAL TEAMS IN THE
OPENING GAMES, THEN COMPETED AGAINST REGIONAL SQUADS IN OTHER
LOCATIONS. THE CARAVAN'S THEME, "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" ("ONE
FAMILY, ONE NIGER"),CONTINUED WITH LAST YEAR'S MESSAGES TO PROMOTE
INTER-RACIAL, INTER-ETHNIC, INTER-REGIONAL AND RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
AND INTRODUCED TWO NEW SUBTHEMES: GOOD GOVERNANCE AND
ANTI-CORRUPTION. REMARKS PREPARED FOR THE SEVEN STOPS COVER THE
SUBTHEMES. A WELL-KNOWN ACTING COMPANY, TROUPE MOURNA, ALSO HAS
PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE CARAVAN BY PERFORMING, AT THE
OPENING AND HALF-TIME OF EACH GAME, SKITS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE
TOLERANCE THEME.

(U) 4. I CONDUCTED OUTREACH BEFORE AND DURING THE CARAVAN, AND
PROVIDED TELEVISION AND RADIO INTERVIEWS ON THE CARAVAN THEMES.
PUBLIC AND PRIVATE MEDIA (TELEVISION, RADIO, AND PRESS) COVERAGE WAS
POSITIVE WITH EACH STOP OF THE CARAVAN MAKING THE DAILY EVENING
NEWS. NATIONAL MEDIA AND THEIR REGIONAL AFFILIATES HAVE BROADCAST
THE CARAVAN (REMARKS, GAMES AND SKITS) WITH ONE RADIO STATION
CARRYING THE EVENT LIVE LOCALLY AT SEVERAL STOPS. AT THE CARAVAN
HOST CITIES, HUNDREDS OF YOUTH (AND ADULTS) HAVE BEEN WEARING
T-SHIRTS BEARING THE THEME "UNE FAMILLE, UN NIGER" WITH DEMAND FOR
T-SHIRTS AND OTHER CARAVAN MATERIALS (NOTEBOOKS, PENCILS AND
TOTEBAGS) FAR EXCEEDING SUPPLIES ALLOTTED TO EACH STOP.
NOTE: DURING PRESS INTERVIEWS, I ALSO EXPRESSED APPRECIATION FOR THE
MEDIA'S SUPPORT OF THE CARAVAN AND SPOKE OF THE MEDIA'S IMPORTANT
RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM THE PUBLIC IN A PROFESSIONAL, ETHICAL
MANNER. END NOTE.

(SBU) 5. TO AMPLIFY THE ANTI-CORRUPTION MESSAGE, MY REMARKS
INCLUDED POINTS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL STRATEGY TO
INTERNATIONALIZE EFFORTS AGAINST KLEPTOCRACY (REFTEL). WE ALSO
PLACED A SERIES OF EDITORIALS AND COMIC STRIPS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
NEWSPAPERS. THE NEWPAPER PLACEMENTS REPORTEDLY DID NOT SIT WELL
WITH AT LEAST ONE MINISTRY, AS A GOVERNMENT NEWSPAPER MANAGER WAS
INSTRUCTED TO STOP PRINTING A COMIC STRIP THAT FEATURED A LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ACCEPTING A BRIBE TO FORGIVE A TRAFFIC
VIOLATION.

(U) 6. OVERALL, THE CARAVAN EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTIONS, WITH
ATTENDANCE IN THE 37,000 TO 40,000 RANGE (WITH ONE MORE STOP ON THE
AGENDA - DIFFA). IT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL OUTREACH
ACTIVITIES TO DATE, WITH CALLS ALREADY FOR ANOTHER CARAVAN NEXT
YEAR. MOREOVER, OTHER SPORTS FEDERATIONS (E.G., TENNIS, HANDBALL,
VOLLEYBALL AND JUDO) WANT TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON AND HAVE
EXPRESSED INTEREST IN PARTICIPATING IN A SIMILAR ACTIVITY.
NOTE: THE ZINDER/MARADI/KONNI LEGS OF THE TRIP PROVIDED ME AN
OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN USAID TDYER AT MEETINGS WITH FOOD SECURITY
PARTNERS AND TO GAIN FIRST-HAND INSIGHT ON THE FOOD SECURITY
SITUATIONS IN THOSE REGIONS (TO BE REPORTED SEPTEL). I ALSO MET
WITH PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS IN MARADI AND ZINDER (NEW PC DIRECTOR
JOINED US IN MARADI),AND CONDUCTED SIDE VISITS TO THREE PCV
PROJECTS (ONE EACH IN THE AREAS OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND
AGRICULTURE). ON THE
DIFFA STOP (AUG 26),IN AN EFFORT TO GENERATE PROPOSALS FROM THAT
REGION NEXT FISCAL YEAR, EMBASSY DELEGATION WILL CONDUCT AN
INFORMATION SESSION FOR COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ORGANIZATIONS, ON THE
AMBASSADOR'S SELF-HELP FUND, AS WELL AS THE DEMOCRACY, GOVERNANCE
AND HUMAN RIGHTS FUND. END NOTE.

ALLEN