Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NIAMEY178
2008-02-11 15:30:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Niamey
Cable title:  

NIGER: DCM MEETS WITH UN SECGEN SPECIAL ENVOY TO

Tags:  MARR PGOV PREL PREF EAID NG 
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VZCZCXRO7157
RR RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0178 0421530
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 111530Z FEB 08 ZDS
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4103
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3420
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0653
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RUEHYD/AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE 0037
RUZEHAA/CDR USEUCOM INTEL VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 000178 

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CLASSIFY BY LINE ADDED

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PREF EAID NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: DCM MEETS WITH UN SECGEN SPECIAL ENVOY TO
WEST AFRICA

REF: NIAMEY 113

Classified by Richard Roberts, ECON/CON Officer, Reason:
1.4(b) & 1.4(d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 000178

SIPDIS

C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - CLASSIFY BY LINE ADDED

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2018
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL PREF EAID NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: DCM MEETS WITH UN SECGEN SPECIAL ENVOY TO
WEST AFRICA

REF: NIAMEY 113

Classified by Richard Roberts, ECON/CON Officer, Reason:
1.4(b) & 1.4(d).

1.(C) Summary. On February 8, UN Secretary General Special
Envoy to West Africa General Lamine Cisse briefed DCM on a
variety of topics related to Niger and West Africa. Also
present at the meeting were a UNDP representative and
Embassy's Econoff. Most of General Cisse's remarks about the
situation in West Africa were unsurprising; however, his
comments on a proposed set of ECOWAS conferences were
slightly different from the explanation the Prime Minister
provided to Ambassador Allen. End Summary.


2. (C) Cisse began the meeting by discussing his work as
President of the Cameroon-Nigerian Mixed Commission on the
land and sea border disputes between the two countries. He
felt that good progress was being made by the commission. He
went on to discuss his work on some of the refugee issues
facing West Africa. In particular, Cisse said that Libya may
expel about 200,000 people, most of whom were sub-Saharan
Africans. He stated that this explusion was a concern for
him and had created a difficult political situation. He also
raised the problem of the refugees who are escaping the civil
unrest in Chad. He noted that most of these refugees are
fleeing to Cameroon, rather than Niger.


3. (C) Cisse next expressed his concern over the security
situation in Mauritania in the wake of the recent attack on a
nightclub and/or the Israeli Embassy. He noted that
Mauritania's border is large and porous and that its security
cannot be guaranteed. Although he was unable to say whether
the attack was aimed primarily at the nightclub or the
Embassy, he pointed out that the head of Al Qaeda in
Mauritania said that in either case, the attack was a good
example for others to follow.


4. (C) As the discussion expanded to include problems facing
other West African countries such as Liberia and Guinea,
Cisse stressed the importance of bringing leaders together to
help solve problems like regional security and trafficking in
drugs, arms, and persons. In order to increase coordinated
efforts to combat such problems, Cisse said that ECOWAS would
soon organize a conference for West African heads of state to
be held in Bamako and hosted by the President of Mali. The
agenda for this conference would be established at a
preparatory conference to be held in Niamey and hosted by the
President of Niger. Cisse said he believed that non-West
African strategic partners, such as the U.S., France, the
U.K., and the EU should have a role to play in the
preparatory meeting in Niamey. He was less sure that these
countries would be included in the conference in Bamako,
since the Malian president believed that Algeria opposed
France's presence, and Libya did not want any nonregional
participation at all.


5. (C) Comment. The preparatory conference cited by General
Cisse may be the conference that the Prime Minister told the
Ambassador the GON would host in March or April (reftel). End
Comment.


6. (C) In closing the meeting, Cisse remarked that he was
planning a joint UN/GON visit to northern Niger to evaluate
the humanitarian, human rights, and security situation there.
The presence of landmines in northern Niger may ultimately
sideline the visit, but General Cisse remained hopeful that
he would be able to surmount this obstacle and get assessment
teams to the area soon.

MINIMIZE CONSIDERED

ALLEN