NIGER: GON EFFORTS REGARDING TUAREG DISSIDENTS,

C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 000656 SIPDIS NOFORN SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W, INR/AA AND DS/IP/ITA E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/01/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL MOPS FR NG SUBJECT: NIGER: GON EFFORTS REGARDING TUAREG DISSIDENTS, POSSIBLE FRENCH MILITARY INVOLVEMENT Classified By: Donald W. Koran, DCM, reasons 1.4(b/d) ¶1. Nigerien police officer and Tuareg ex-combatant Daouada Algabid on May 10 told DCM that a high-level French military delegation is in Niamey to ask the GON to allow French troops currently in Chad to come to Niger to provide security for the French Uranium company AREVA's mines near Arlit. The French unit is called Epervier. Algabid thought that AREVA may offer financial incentives to induce the GON to allow the French troops to come. ¶2. Algabid also reported that on May 4 High Commissioner for Peace Restoration Mohamed Anacko held a meeting with all former Tuareg ex-combatants currently in senior positions in the GON security forces. The ex-combants were against the MNJ's attacks, but agreed that the GON has not fully complied with all the conditions of the 1995 peace accord in the Tuareg rebellion. In particular, there has been inadequate support for those former combatants who were not integrated into the security forces. ¶3. Algabid dismissed GON claims that nobody in the MNJ could have written the group's manifest. He said he knows MNJ vice president Mohamed Acharif well, and that Acharif is very intelligent and well educated. He claimed that Acharef studied in Senegal and France, and received top marks on a nationwide exam. He is also very good with a gun. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED ALLEN