NIGER: MINISTER OF DEFENSE ASKS USG NOT TO ABANDON

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000646 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017 TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL NG SUBJECT: NIGER: MINISTER OF DEFENSE ASKS USG NOT TO ABANDON FRIEND IN NEED Classified By: Ambassador Bernadette M. Allen, Reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Government of Niger (GON) Defense Minister (DefMin),Hassane Souley, requested a meeting with Ambassador Allen to ask for USG support of GON military efforts to deal with Tuareg dissidents in the North. The GON seeks military support, especially intelligence assistance. The DefMin emphasized that while people in the defense establishment value the U.S.-Niger military relationship, USG support for GON efforts in resolving the situation in northern Niger would further demonstrate to the GON civilian leadership the value of having the U.S. as an ally. The GON believes there are links between Tuareg dissidents in Niger and those in northern Mali and in the Al-Quaeda in the Magreb (AQIM). GON does not have a negotiating partner and does not believe negotiations with the Tuaregs will work because in the GON's view the ultimate goal is secession which no government could accept. End Summary. ¶2. (C) In a May 8 meeting with Ambassador and the U.S. Defense Attache (DATT),Nigerien DefMin Souley (with the Ministry of Defense Secretary General present) said it was important for the USG to continue to cooperate with the Nigerien military in order to demonstrate the value of the relationship to the GON civilian leadership. He said that whatever the USG can do to assist the GON with the current situation in the North would only reinforce an already strong relationship. In response to the Ambassador's comments about GON inaction to formalize a long-term training and cooperation plan between the two militaries, the DefMin said the problem lies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because the Foreign Minister travels a lot. The Ambassador stated that not having an Article 98 agreement places limitations on military collaboration, but given the current situation in the North, the GON military leadership should seize the opportunity to convince the GON civilian leadership to finally sit at the table with the USG to formalize and map out a mil-to-mil cooperation plan for the next few years. She reminded the DefMin that we had discussed the need to work out a plan during Admiral McCraven's visit last Fall. The Ambassador added that the Embassy can request possible training to assist the Nigeriens, such as anti-mining training, in light of the humanitarian aspects of such assistance, but stated the GON should formally request the assistance through a diplomatic note. Both the Ambassador and the DefMin agreed that the Nigeriens need to address the insecurity in the North, so that the current situation doesn't further deteriorate. ¶3. (C) Minister Souley then stated that insecurity in the North affects everything and if left unchecked could destabilize the country and create further instability throughout the region, stretching from Mali to Sudan. He added that thus far this year Niger has seized ten (10) tons of drugs in the North, and said that the Algerians and Libyans allow such activity to happen. He also said the Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ) engages in drug trafficking and that revenue from the illicit traffic facilitates the purchase of arms and other materials used by rebels or potential terrorists. Moreover, he added that in the GON's eyes the MNJ are terrorists because they've already killed people. The GON sees the benefit of U.S. military training in fighting all forms of insecurity and would welcome more training because the U.S.-trained Pan Sahel Initiative (PSI) company is the only real operational company in Niger that can deal with the current threats. The Secretary General at the Ministry of Defense noted that the SIPDIS Nigerien military is most in need of intelligence to track the Tuareg dissidents. The Ambassador responded that given the GON's initial public labeling of the Tuareg dissidents as criminals and bandits, the USG would need strong evidence of a link between the Tuareg dissidents and terrorism in order not to view the current situation as an internal, domestic matter. The DefMin animatedly responded that there is indeed a link to terrorism because the MNJ and Tuareg dissidents who did not sign the Peace Accords want the same thing as the terrorists; that is to create a "no man's land", using heavy arms and mines in order to create sanctuary in the North like they did in Mali. ¶4. (C) The DefMin dismissed the MNJ as a rebellion and said the GON and the international community fulfilled their obligations to the former rebels under the Peace Accords, such as military positions, reinsertion assistance, etc. He added that Niger is a democracy where people can speak freely NIAMEY 00000646 002 OF 002 and form their own political parties. He said no one needs to take up arms to defend an interest in Niger; that there will always be malcontents, but nothing justifies taking up arms in Niger. The Ambassador then inquired whether the GON plans to negotiate with the MNJ. The DefMin responded that the MNJ does not have a political wing, consequently, there is really no one with whom the GON can negotiate or hold a discussion. He pointed out that the MNJ leadership was serving murder sentences before the Malian Tuaregs broke them out of jail. He added that the USG viewing this problem as a domestic Nigerien problem would be tantamount to Niger viewing terrorism as solely a USG problem and not a Nigerien problem. The Minister concluded that the GON cannot make a distinction between a drug trafficker, terrorist or rebel because they operate in the same manner and in the same territory. Moreover, he said these actors' resort to violence has detrimental effects on the local economy, affecting tourism and development projects. Souley concluded that no democratically-elected government can accept these destabilizing activities on its territory. The Ambassador acknowledged that several resident Embassies, including our own, had issued warden messages advising our respective citizens to refrain from travel North of Agadez, due to the risks of land mines and the uncertainties about security in the North. ¶5. (C) The GON believes there is no doubt about a link between the MNJ and the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) in Mali, the ADC links to AQIM and, by extension, the MNJ and AQIM. The Minister stated that the ADC has already begun to renege on recently signed agreements with the Malian Government because their ultimate goal is to create their own country encompassing northern Mali to northern Niger. He added that there are ten main ethnic groups in Niger and stated that if each ethnic group behaved in the manner of the Tuaregs, then Niger would cease to exist. He acknowledged that the insecurity is already adversely affecting development activities in the North because some natural resource extractive and exploration activities have stopped and the work of non-governmental organizations has slowed down. The Minister closed by stating that intelligence on the location of the MNJ is most essential and suggested that the USG choice boils down to either supporting a democratically-elected government or, through USG inaction, supporting the rebels. Minimize Considered ALLEN