RSA ADVANCE TEAM VISITS NIAMEY TO REVIEW

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000999 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT ASEC CMGT EAID PREL SUBJECT: RSA ADVANCE TEAM VISITS NIAMEY TO REVIEW POSSIBILITY OF OPENING RSA EMBASSY IN NIGER IN 2007 (SBU) 1. SUMMARY. A SEVEN-PERSON REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA (RSA) MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS (MFA) DELEGATION REQUESTED A MEETING WITH U.S. EMBASSY NIAMEY ON SEPTEMBER 7, IN CONJUNCTION WITH A TECHNICAL EVALUATION IT IS MAKING RELATED TO THE POSSIBLE OPENING OF A SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY IN NIGER IN MAY OR JUNE 2007. THE DELEGATION (AKA ADVANCE TEAM) HAS BEEN MEETING WITH SEVERAL FOREIGN MISSIONS IN NIAMEY THIS WEEK TO INQUIRE ABOUT OVERALL COOPERATION WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGER (GON),SECURITY MATTERS (IN BOTH NIAMEY AND ACROSS NIGER) AND A RANGE OF MANAGEMENT ISSUES (HUMAN RESOURCES, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HOUSING, ETC.). END SUMMARY. (U) 2. FIVE MEMBERS OF THE RSA ADVANCE TEAM MET WITH AMBASSADOR, MANAGEMENT OFFICER AND REGIONAL SECURITY OFFICER ON SEPTEMBER 7 FOR TWO HOURS. THE RSA ADVANCE TEAM MEMBERS WERE RSA MFA WEST AFRICA 2 COORDINATOR MS. FRANCES THERON, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNICIAN MR. CHRIS CHETTY, CORPORATE SERVICES COORDINATOR MS. PAULA LANG, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER MS. JEAN NEL AND CONSULAR AFFAIRS COORDINATOR MS. WILMA KRIEK. TEAM LEADER MR. JOHNNY PITSWANE AND POLITICAL OFFICER MR. AARON MUDIMELI WERE ABSENT DUE TO UNEXPECTED ILLNESS. (U) 3. THE MEETING COVERED OVERALL COOPERATION WITH THE GON, PARTICULARLY THE MFA, AS WELL AS RELATIONS WITH OTHER MISSIONS IN NIGER. THE SOUTH AFRICANS RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT SECURITY MATTERS IN NIAMEY AND ACROSS NIGER, AS IT RELATES TO FACILITIES, PERSONAL SAFETY AND RESIDENTIAL HOUSING. THEY ALSO WERE INTERESTED IN THE QUALITY OF LABOR AVAILABLE IN NIAMEY, EMBASSY'S LOCALLY ENGAGED STAFF COMPENSATION PLAN, LOCAL MEDICAL SUPPORT, UTILITY COSTS, REAL ESTATE AVAILABILITY, VACATION/R&R PACKAGES PROVIDED FOR AMERICAN DIRECT-HIRES, CONSULAR ISSUES (VISAS, REGISTRATION OF AMCITS, ETC.) AND A RANGE OF MATTERS RELATED TO OPENING A NEW MISSION IN NIGER. THEY REPORTED HAVING RAISED THE SAME QUESTIONS AT OTHER MISSIONS IN NIAMEY. (SBU) 4. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE TARGET DATE FOR OPENING AN EMBASSY IN NIAMEY, THE ADVANCE TEAM INDICATED THEY HOPED TO DO SO IN MAY OR JUNE 2007. AS A SIDE NOTE, THE TEAM REPORTED THAT A NEW MISSION IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN BENIN IN OCTOBER ¶2006. ALLEN