U.S. AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT OF NIGER

C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 001064 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/22/2017 TAGS: PREL MARR MOPS NG SUBJECT: U.S. AMBASSADOR MEETING WITH GOVERNMENT OF NIGER (GON) PRESIDENT - MILITARY COOPERATION Classified By: Bernadette M. Allen, Ambassador, Reason: 1.4a & d (U) 1. Summary. On August 21, Ambassador Allen met for approximately 30 minutes with GON President Mamadou Tandja to discuss military cooperation issues and other subjects (to be reported septel),such as food security, the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Threshold Program and the imminent sports caravan to promote tolerance under the theme "One Family, One Niger." Embassy Defense Attache (DATT) accompanied Ambassador to the meeting. The GON President emphasized that demining training is his number one priority. End summary. (C) 2. Ambassador opened the meeting by expressing condolences to President Tandja for the loss of lives in the Agadez region caused by the ongoing insecurity in nothern Niger. Ambassador introduced the Embassy's new DATT and reminded the President that the USG remained interested in meeting with senior GON leadership (civilian and military) to discuss military and security cooperation activities. Ambassador noted the Embassy was still waiting for the GON to provide a date to hold a meeting on long-term military cooperation plans, stated that we have a draft proposal ready for discussion and that we would like to learn the specific interests of the GON. Embassy recommended a launch of the discussion be held at the senior level, to include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Defense, Minister of Interior and the Ambassador, with the DATT to present the USG's proposed FY08 schedule of activities. We proposed that a working group (WG) be established, with the Embassy DATT to serve as the lead Embassy representative, to meet regularly and coordinate cooperation activities, composed of representatives from each of the relevant ministries. We also asked the GON to draw up its list of proposed activities, so that both sides could identify programs of mutual interest, as well as other areas for negotiation. Ambassador stated she had hoped an initial meeting could be scheduled before her imminent in-country travel to support the sports caravan and tolerance campaign, but acknowledged that Foreign Minister (FM) Mindaoudou was not in country. Tandja then confirmed with his Chief of Staff that the FM would return to Niger the next day (August 21) and instructed the Acting FM (the new Minister of Justice, Dr. Mamadou DAGRA) to inform the FM upon her return that he wanted the suggested initial meeting to occur soon, preferably on Thursday (August 23). (Note: Ambassador's Protocol Assistant received a call at close of business Wednesday, August 22, from FM's Protocol Officer stating that FM hoped to phone the Ambassador the next day. Actual call came from Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary General (SG) Dan Maradi and, in light of Ambassador's imminent travel, it was decided that the working level would begin meeting the week of August 27, to be followed by a senior level meeting on the morning of September 5. SG stated that Minister of Interior Albade Adouba's border security meetings in Mali had not made it possible to hold the senior level meeting we had requested for Thursday, August 23, with the Defense, Foreign Affairs and Interior Ministers. We agreed that Secretaries General could meet in the place of any absent Ministers from the three Ministries in question for the senior level meeting in September, to avoid further postponement of the senior level meeting. End note.) (C) 3. Ambassador then raised the subject of the adverse economic consequences that the ongoing insecurity is having on the Agadez region, particularly the great loss in tourism dollars. She added that it was too bad that in Niger, as a democratic nation, there has been no use of democratic instruments to end the violence, such as dialogue. Tandja responded it is difficult to deal with bandits and criminals, that civilians may inadvertently get injured or killed by some of the "illegal" land mines buried in various locations in the Agadez region. Ambassador then noted that the Embassy had requested demining training, that the USG had military personnel ready to begin training, but reprogramming funds to cover demining training for Niger couldn't be taken up until Congress returns from summer recess. Tandja responded that the demining training is his number one priority and repeated his desire for assistance from the United States. He expressed belief that the people setting the mines were the same as the drug traffickers. General Mai Munga, the Military Advisor to the President, spoke up to request that the military team come now, but the Ambassador reiterated that we would have to wait until Washington informed us that Congress had approved funding for the training. (SBU) 4. Ending the meeting on a light note, Ambassador informed the President that she would conduct in-country travel to all regions, except Agadez, for the next two weeks to support a sports caravan and tolerance campaign, similar to what has been conducted in 2006. Tandja responded that the caravan is a good activity and that youth in the areas to be visited are excited and ready to participate in the sports activities again this year. Ambassador noted that while the caravan will not be stopping in Agadez, given the current insecurity in the region, girls and boys on the Agadez team were invited to travel south to participate in the games scheduled for Tahoua. Two athletes, a girl and a boy, have committed to participate in the Tahoua games to ensure that Agadez is represented in the activity. (C) 5. Embassy will report developments from the meetings scheduled to begin the week of August 27 on long-term planning of mil-to-mil activities. ALLEN