NIGER: FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH DIPLOMATIC

C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 001418

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/W AND INR/AA
PARIS FOR AF WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/30/2017
TAGS: PINS PGOV PHUM PTER ASEC CASC NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH DIPLOMATIC
CORPS ON INSECURITY IN THE NORTH

REF: A. NIAMEY 1404

B. NIAMEY 1399

Classified By: BERNADETTE M. ALLEN, AMBASSADOR, REASONS: 1.4 (b & d)


1. (C) Summary. Government of Niger (GON) Foreign Minister
Mindaoudou convoked the diplomatic corps ambassadors and
resident representatives of international organizations on
November 29 to discuss the insecurity in northern Niger. The
discussion focused on the GON position with regard to
negotiations with the Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice
(MNJ),press freedom, allegations of GON military actions
against civilians and the ability of non-governmental
organizations to work in the Agadez region. According to the
FM, the insecurity in the North is winding down, as 7 of the
11 groups that formed a conglomerate of bandits and
traffickers have laid down there arms. She further added
that there should be little concern about travel in the
Agadez region, except for some isolated areas near the Air
mountains.


2. (C) In a closed-door session, the GON FM informed the
diplomatic corps ambassadors and resident representatives of
international organizations that GON President Tandja asked
her to hold a frank discussion on the insecurity in the
North, in order to address the concerns of the various
missions/offices, quash some rumors and to hear the
ambassadors'/resident representatives' views on the matter.
(Comment: This may be the infamous meeting to which MNJ
referred (reftel A). It suggests that someone in either the
President's or FM's office knew the meeting was in the works,
perhaps leaked it to MNJ contacts, allowing MNJ to post a
comment about the meeting even before it actually had taken
place. End comment.) (Note: Tele-Sahel was allowed to pan
the room with a camera (the photo op for the evening news),
but subsequently was instructed by the FM to leave the room
before she made her opening remarks to the diplomatic corps.
End note.)


3. (U) Mindaoudou opened the meeting by stating she presumed
there was a question as to why the GON has continuously
rejected MNJ calls for negotiations. She stated that the GON
does not recognize MNJ as a legitimate group, considers them
no more than a conglomerate of bandits and traffickers,
consequently, there are no persons with whom to negotiate.
She added the GON is party to agreements to combat drug and
arms trafficking, thus must respect such agreements and not
negotiate with criminals. She further noted that Niger is a
democratic country and, that in a democracy, malcontents have
avenues other than violence to make grievances known, such as
forming political parties or working through elected local
officials). She stressed that the GON has met 80 percent of
the demands included in the 1995 Peace Accords, that the 20
percent of the demands not met primarily relate to 300 youth
who were to be offered employment by Areva (the
French-uranium firm). She noted that Areva would not be in a
position to hire 300 youth until such time as it obtained
concessions to expand its operations, as Areva presently has
no capacity to hire more employees in the region. Moreover,
she emphasized that there are some 70,000 non-diplomaed youth
around the country who also are unemployed, thus the GON
questions why the 300 youth in Agadez should be given special
treatment. She stated that Pres. Tandja had offered to speak
with any persons that first laid down their arms, that he had
made it clear there would be no reprisals. She labeled the
laying of mines and other violence as acts of pure terrorism.
The FM then opened the floor for questions.


4. (U) Noting the inability of journalists to report on what
was happening in the North, for fear of arrest, I (U.S.
Ambassador) raised the first question as to why the GON
doesn't respond to MNJ allegations posted on the MNJ website
about GON military massacres of civilians in Agadez region,
the exodus of the civilian population, and other such rumors.
Mindaoudou responded that there is no prohibition on
journalists traveling to the North to report on events there.
She stated that two journalists arrested, there very ones
that the international community continues to complain about
to her office, clearly were accomplices of the
bandits/traffickers. She said both journalists were arrested
for their actions, not because of their profession as
journalists. She said that Niger has greater press freedoms
than most neighboring countries, that the GON also reads the

MNJ website that contains information that is "98 percent
lies." She questioned why the MNJ website does not post
photos of the alleged massacres, if such incidents have
occurred. She added that she is certain that if persons were
being killed by the military, the families would cry out or
protest against such acts. She suggested less reliance on
the internet for information, that the people maintaining the
MNJ website are not located in Agadez, that some are in
Europe and Niamey and have no true knowledge of the situation
in the North.


5. (U) The German Ambassador inquired what should be told to
expatriates and NGO partners working in the Agadez region, as
many are unable to work because of the insecurity and
inability to get provisions in places like Iferouane. She
said she has informed German expatriates that it is unsafe to
travel the roads from Tahoua to Agadez. She raised concern
that the local population is caught hostage to the
hostilities between the MNJ and GON military forces. The
European Union Ambassador chimed in with a question as to how
long the GON believed the insecurity would last in North.
Mindaoudou responded that the situation in the North is close
to being resolved, she said that 7 out of 11 criminal groups
have laid down their arms, that the other four groups are
moving closer to laying down arms as well. She emphasized
that the groups are not just Tuaregs, stated that languages
other than Tamashek (such as Hausa) have been intercepted
over telephone lines. On the issue of provisions and
supplies in the North, Mindaoudou replied that there are two
military-escorted convoys a week to provide food and medicine
to citizens in Iferouane, that there are people who travel
the Tahoua to Agadez axis daily without incident. She added
she would have no hesitation traveling that axis, that if the
German Ambassador would like, the two of them could travel
the route together at any time.


6. (C) The International Monetary Fund representative then
asked whether the GON planned to participate in a regional
security conference that was mentioned in a meeting that the
Prime Minister held with the Nigerien diplomatic corps in
preparation for a donor's conference in Brussels last month.
He asked whether MNJ would be invited to participate if a
regional security conference were held. Mindaoudou responded
that the possibility of a regional security conference, to
take place perhaps in Mali or Algeria, was still on the
table. She said the focus of such a conference would be drug
and arms trafficking in the Sahel, but that MNJ certainly
would not be invited as the GON does not recognize the MNJ as
a legitimate group. She reiterated that there is no
rebellion in northern Niger, thus no reason to invite the MNJ.


7. (U) The Swiss Cooperation representative asked about a
recent attempt to mine the Sonidep gas depot in Dosso,
whether that meant the insecurity would be spreading to
locations closer to Niamey. Mindaoudou replied that the case
is still under investigation, that while a turban was found
on the scene of the incident, that the GON had determined
that the culprit is not affiliated with MNJ and is not
Tuareg.


8. (U) The Danish Cooperation representative revisited the
question about executions of civilians in the North,
inquiring specifically about three "seniors" who were killed.
The FM responded that she was surprised by the question,
given she had earlier stated that the GON was a democracy
that believed in human rights protection. She acknowledged,
however, that the three persons killed by the military were
suspected of having laid land mines reponsible for killing
military personnel, as they were running from the scene. She
said the military officers who killed the three "seniors"
were angry about having just lost their comrades. She said
the military has discovered that some of the persons placing
mines are posing as local peasant farmers or nomads.


9. (U) The meeting lasted an hour 15 minutes and, in response
to the newly-arrived French Ambassador's comment about the
utility of holding group sessions with MFA on a more regular
basis, closed with the FM's pledge to try to conduct such
meetings monthly.


10. (C) The FM painted a somewhat rosy picture of the
situation in the North. Nevertheless, exit discussions
amongst the diplomatic corps made it clear that there remains

considerable doubt that one can move freely in the North
without putting oneself in harm's way or that the remaining
rebel groups will soon lay down their arms to permit dialogue
with the GON.
ALLEN