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