Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAMAKO970
2008-12-30 16:46:00
SECRET
Embassy Bamako
Cable title:  

GOVERNMENT OF NIGER QUIETLY LOOKING FOR MISSING UN

Tags:  PREL PTER PINR ML 
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VZCZCXRO7281
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHBP #0970 3651646
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
R 301646Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAMAKO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9875
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 0527
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
S E C R E T BAMAKO 000970 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PINR ML
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF NIGER QUIETLY LOOKING FOR MISSING UN
ENVOY IN MALI

REF: IIR 6 958 0008 09.

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
S E C R E T BAMAKO 000970

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2018
TAGS: PREL PTER PINR ML
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT OF NIGER QUIETLY LOOKING FOR MISSING UN
ENVOY IN MALI

REF: IIR 6 958 0008 09.

Classified By: Political Officer Aaron Sampson, Embassy Bamako, for
reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

1.(C) On December 29 Karim Lansary (strictly protect),a
Tuareg from Niger who is based in the northern Malian town of
Gao, contacted the Embassy to report that he had received a
commission from Niger's Minister of Territorial
Administration and Security, Albade Abouba, to locate missing
UN Envoy Robert Fowler. Lansary is a valued partner of the
U.S. Mission to Mali and has worked for various USAID
contractors charged with installing community radios
throughout northern Mali. He is also a close contact of the
Governor of Gao, General Amadou Baba Toure. In October 2008
Lansary helped facilitate the defection of a group of what
appear to have been Nigerien Arab fighters from the MNJ via
northern Mali (Ref. A). Although Lansary is a Nigerien
Tuareg, he has no sympathy for the MNJ.

2.(C) According to Lansary, Minister Abouba said the
Government of Niger had concluded, after an exhaustive search
and investigation, that Ambassador Fowler and his assistant
Louis Guay were no longer in Niger. Minister Abouba told
Lansary that Niger was now seeking information about Amb.
Fowler's possible whereabouts in Mali and that Niger's High
Commissioner for Peace and Reconciliation, Mohamed Anacko,
had recommended reaching out to Lansary. Abouba then asked
Lansary to ascertain for the Nigerien government whether Amb.
Fowler was in Mali, and if the kidnappers had formulated any
demands.

3.(C) After speaking with Minister Abouba, Lansary privately
tasked a northern Malian nomadic leader with contacting AQIM.
Lansary did not reveal the name of his go-between, but said
the individual was half Tuareg half Arab, based mid-way
between Gao and Kidal, and played an important role
negotiating the release of the German tourists captured by
the GSPC in 2003. Lansary said the individual was not
involved in recent efforts to free the Austrian tourists
liberated by AQIM in October 2008.

4.(S) Lansary said his go-between telephoned him three days
later, on December 29, to report that he had located Amb.
Fowler at an undisclosed location between Kidal and Timbuktu
with Moctar bel Moctar, but that AQIM was moving Amb. Fowler
from day to day to avoid detection. Lansary reported that
Amb. Fowler was in good health and that his captors were in
the process of formulating demands to be made public shortly.
Lansary said he and his contact believed Amb. Fowler and
Guay were abducted by a group of Nigerien Arab traffickers
seeking a payoff from AQIM as opposed to political
concessions from Niger or public notoriety. Lansary said he
believed members of this group of Arab traffickers were now
traveling with AQIM.

5.(C) Lansary relayed this information via telephone to
Minister Abouba shortly after sharing it with the Embassy.
He said he expected Minister Abouba to give him a new
commission but indicated he would not be able to comply
without monetary compensation. There are numerous conspiracy
theories circulating amongst Tuaregs in Mali regarding Amb.
Fowler. Lansary said he adhered to one of these theories -
that Nigerien officials played a role in Amb. Fowler's
disappearance, perhaps to hide evidence acquired by Amb.
Fowler of human rights violations by the Nigerien armed
forces - until he spoke with Minister Abouba. Lansary
described Minister Abouba's inability to account for Amb.
Fowler's whereabouts, and desire to obtain more information,
as genuine.

6.(U) Embassy Niamey has cleared on this cable.
LEONARD