TWO ITALIAN TOURISTS REPORTEDLY REMAIN IN THE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000937

SIPDIS

NOFORN
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W, AND DS/IP/AF; PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/05/2016
TAGS: KCRM ASEC CASC NG
SUBJECT: TWO ITALIAN TOURISTS REPORTEDLY REMAIN IN THE
HANDS OF KIDNAPPERS

REF: NIAMEY 904

NIAMEY 00000937 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: BERNADETTE M. ALLEN, AMBASSADOR. REASON: 1.4 (d)


1. (C) Summary. Italian Embassy Charge d'Affaires Giovanni
Davoli (resident in Abidjan) requested a meeting with
Ambassador Allen on Thursday, August 31, to discuss
developments in reftel case. Two Italian nationals
reportedly remain in the custody of the kidnappers, though
there is speculation the hostages may have elected to remain
with the kidnappers of their own volition. Davoli reported
that the Government of Niger (GON) has terminated its
discussion with the Government of Italy (GOI) on the matter,
thus he planned to return to Abidjan by week's end. RSO and
RAO were present in the meeting. End summary.


2. (C) On the morning of Thursday, August 31, GOI Charge
d'Affaires contacted AmEmbassy Niamey to request a meeting
with the Ambassador to discuss the case of the Italian
hostages. He was accompanied by another GOI embassy official
(also resident in Abidjan) and immediately made it known that
the GON had ceased its discussions with the GOI on the
hostage situation. According to Davoli, he initially was to
accompany a GON negotiating team to secure the release of the
Italian nationals. He reportedly has been in regular
satellite phone contact with the Italian hostages and the
latter reported to him (and in a communique) that they were
not being held against their will. They reportedly had
chosen not to leave the kidnappers because their location
(not disclosed to Davoli) is considered unsafe and they don't
feel knowledgeable enough about the area to try to find their
way to a safe haven. Davoli reported that he had secured
permission to travel with a GON negotiating team, but in the
end, the GON informed him that he was no longer welcome in
the negotiating party.


3. (C) Davoli stated that when the Italian hostages learned
he would no longer be arriving with the GON negotiators, the
kidnappers decided to move to another location and to cancel
any further negotiating with the GON. It is post's
understanding that the GOI initially proposed an Italian
negotiating team and that the GON (President Tandja himself)
rejected that proposal. Moreover, the kidnappers allegedly
had offered to exchange the two Italians hostages for a
currently incarcerated, known gun runner who is suspected of
affiliation with Force Armees Revolutionnaires du Sahara
(FARS). Davoli reported that the GON has cut him out of the
case completely, consequently, he saw no purpose in remaining
in Niamey and would return to Abidjan at week's end. He
planned to hang around Niamey one extra day, in the event the
GON had a change of heart. Finally, he indicated that if the
GON did not manage the release of the hostages soon, that the
GOI would have to take matters into its own hands to gain the
release of its citizens. He did acknowledge, however, that
the location of the hostages was still a huge question, as
authorities don't seem to know whether the kidnappers had
slipped into Chad with the hostages or had moved them further
north in Agadez in the region of Djado.


4. (C) Ambassador asked Davoli whether he had discussed this
matter with other foreign Ambassadors resident in Niamey.
Davoli responded that he had discussed the matter with the
Ambassadors for France and the Acting Charge for Germany.


5. (U) On the evening news (Wednesday, August 30) prior to
Davoli's visit, the GON spokesperson Ben Omar held a press
conference on national television (Tele-Sahel) at which he
displayed what were reported to be the fraudulent visas used
by the tourists (see reftel) to enter Niger. He emphasized
that all the Italians' visas for Niger were fraudulent and
that the agent through whom they had arranged their excursion
to Niger is a "known criminal", Mr. Claudio, who owns a
travel agency based in London known as ARKNO-TOUR with a
sub-office in Tripoli. He questioned the Italians' real
motive for illegally entering Niger. "Was it to steal
Niger's artifacts or other treasures from the region, are
they spies, are they in cohoots with the bandits, etc.?"


NIAMEY 00000937 002.2 OF 002



6. (U) While all has remained quiet over the weekend, this
incident appears to be far from over.

MINIMIZED CONSIDERED.
ALLEN