Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07NIAMEY1217
2007-09-26 16:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Niamey
Cable title:  

NIGER: MEETING WITH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR THE

Tags:  PGOV MOPS ASEC PREL NG 
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VZCZCXRO8664
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #1217/01 2691623
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 261623Z SEP 07
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3789
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3399
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0595
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 001217 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC PREL NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: MEETING WITH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR THE
RESTORATION OF PEACE

REF: A. NIAMEY 859

B. NIAMEY 625

NIAMEY 00001217 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Bernadette M. Allen, Ambassador, Reasons: 1.4 b & d

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 001217

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/2017
TAGS: PGOV MOPS ASEC PREL NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: MEETING WITH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR THE
RESTORATION OF PEACE

REF: A. NIAMEY 859

B. NIAMEY 625

NIAMEY 00001217 001.2 OF 002


Classified By: Bernadette M. Allen, Ambassador, Reasons: 1.4 b & d


1. (C) Summary. On September 26, Ambassador Allen met with
the Government of Niger (GON) High Commissioner for the
Restoration of Peace, Mohamed Anacko, to discuss the
insecurity in northern Niger and to inquire whether the
cessation of violence during Ramadan bodes well for possible
future negotiations between the GON and the Mouvement des
Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ). Anacko remains very
pessimistic that negotiations will take place any time soon
and reported that GON President Tandja has rejected Anacko's
offers to reach out to the MNJ. He also fears the MNJ may
launch a more violent campaign against GON installations and
security forces in northern Niger after Ramadan. End summary.


2. (C) To open the meeting, Ambassador asked Anacko about his
well being, stating she recognized he must be under lots of
pressure these past months. Anacko replied that he is indeed
under lots of pressure, is very stressed and fearful that
violence will resume immediately after Ramadan. Moreover,
Anacko believes that Tandja no longer trusts him, as Tandja
rarely speaks with Anacko (last meeting was almost two weeks
ago) and he reportedly has ordered others to follow Anacko's
and a handful of other influential Tuaregs' every move.
Anacko said he is worried about his personal safety, given
GON recent arrests of prominent Tuareg business types who
have been labeled as suspected financers of MNJ.

3) (C) Noting that a few weeks ago the Mayor of Tchizerone
publicly announced he had joined the MNJ, Anacko was asked
whether he believed it likely other leaders in the Agadez
region or any leader who signed the 1995 Peace Accords would
sign up with the MNJ. Anacko ruled out the possibility that
leaders who previously signed the accords would sign up with
the MNJ, but thinks it plausible other leaders in the Agadez
region may be pushed in that direction if the GON continues

to suspect, then arrest persons that have nothing to do with
the MNJ. He said Tuaregs living outside the Agadez region
are fearful of what may happen to family and friends. Most
at risk in his view are persons of means, as the GON
(primarily Tandja) too frequently wrongly suspects that such
persons provide financial support for the MNJ. He speculated
that if the GON continued to arrest persons without solid
evidence, support for the MNJ could grow. He also believes
that if the GON cannot protect the population in the Agadez
region, such as stop the bus hijackings and robberies
(committed by criminals with no MNJ affiliation and who are
taking advantage of insecurity in the region),support for
the MNJ would increase. He added that the population in the
region did not agree with the MNJ's rendering the region
insecure with landmines, but the GON's inability to stop the
MNJ from laying mines has a terrible psychological affect on
residents in the region, leading them to believe without GON
protection they easily could fall victim to MNJ attacks for
not cooperating with MNJ.


4. (C) In response to a question about military and security
forces' morale and possible interest in negotiating, Anacko
stated that leaders in those services want to negotiate but,
Tandja has blocked any efforts to do so. He said it's time
to negotiate to stop the loss of life that has affected
soldiers, MNJ rebels, civilians and livestock.


5. (C) In reply to a question as to why the MNJ believes the
Agadez region should receive more mining revenues when the
current law already provides 15 percent of mining revenues to
that region, while other regions of the country are equally
poor, Anacko responded that much of the nomadic population
must live off the land. He said the GON sells off the
grazing pastures without compensation to the pastoralists,
thus leaving them no means to earn a living. He said it is
not only Tuaregs who believe the GON has been unfair in this
practice, that other ethnic groups complain about how
concessions are being sold without consultation with
traditional chiefs and without regard to the interests of
indigenous populations. He said purchasers of concessions,
such as the Chinese, don't hire locals. Moreover, citing as
an example the outbreak of fighting at a national soccer
match in Dosso that led to a gubernatorial change, Anacko
added that most of the governing authorities have no
attachment to the regions to which they are assigned,
consequently don't care about funds leaving the regions to

NIAMEY 00001217 002.2 OF 002


which they are assigned. He said the failure to proceed with
the next phases of decentralization greatly contributes to
tensions within regions.


6. (C) Ambassador then asked about the possibility of Tuareg
rebel forces in Mali and Niger forming an alliance. Anacko
replied that the Tuareg nation remains a dream, is not
something one should expect to happen because Tuaregs love
their respective countries. He said Nigerien Tuaregs would
not consider themselves anything but Nigerien and Malian
Tuaregs would only consider themselves Malian.


7. (C) Anacko concluded that until Tandja recognizes the MNJ
as a political group, that the possibility for a mediated
settlement of the conflict in northern Niger in the near term
is slim.
MINIMIZED CONSIDERED.
ALLEN