Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06NIAMEY999
2006-09-07 16:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Niamey
Cable title:  

RSA ADVANCE TEAM VISITS NIAMEY TO REVIEW

Tags:  AMGT ASEC CMGT EAID PREL 
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VZCZCXRO3994
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHNM #0999 2501658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071658Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0421
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2875
INFO RUEHCO/AMEMBASSY COTONOU 1032
RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 0057
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 0002
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 0012
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)
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