HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL DISCUSSES RECENT EVENTS

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000567 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PGOV NG SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICIAL DISCUSSES RECENT EVENTS REF: (A) NIAMEY 559 (B) NIAMEY 546 (C) NIAMEY 545 (D) NIAMEY 514 ¶1. (U) In a May 28 meeting with DCM, Political assistant and visiting analysts, the Vice President of the Nigerien Association for the Defense of Human rights (known by its French acronym ANDDH),Badie Hima, expressed concern about recent developments. ¶2. (SBU) Hima is particularly worried about the elections scheduled for next year. He complained that the National Council for Political Dialogue (known by its French acronym CNDP) had decided to postpone local elections scheduled for later this year. (Note: The CNDP is comprised of representatives of all of Niger's political parties.) Hima described the CNDP as an "anti-constitutional" body where all key issues are decided. The delay in voter registration threatens the national elections scheduled for late 2009. The GON had five years to prepare for the elections, but only recently began any real planning. It was not clear where the money would come from for the elections, or how the elections could be held in the north. While local elections can only be postponed once, for a maximum of six months, the constitution does not allow for the postponement of national elections. ¶3. (SBU) Hima complained about various initiatives that are run out of the President's office rather than through government ministries, including the president's special program, the malaria and HIV initiatives, and the MCC Threshold program. DCM explained that while the GON coordinating mechanism was located in the presidency, the actual program would be implemented by U.S. contractors rather than the GON. ¶4. (SBU) Hima said that 22 civil society groups have organized an umbrella organization called Convergence Citoyen. It plans to stage a large rally on June 10. It will focus on four issues: the National Assembly's efforts to increase its benefits (ref c); the rebellion in the north; the high cost of living; and governance, including the president's special program and the management of parastatals. The groups would ask for independent audits of those entities. ¶5. (SBU) GON restrictions make it much more difficult to verify reported human rights abuses during the current conflict than it was in the conflict of the early 1990s, according to Hima. He had no independent information on allegations of recent human rights violations in Tadak, but he has received reports of human rights violations in Dabaga and Tidene. ¶6. (SBU) Hima is skeptical about the circumstances surrounding the recent MNJ kidnapping of the National Human Rights and Fundamental Liberties Commission (known by its French acronym CNDH/FL) Vice President Ahmoudou Ehalaweye, and particularly whether Ehalaweye was on CNDH/FL business when he was kidnapped (refs a, b, and d). He claimed that Ehalaweye is illiterate and owes his job to the National Assembly speaker. Hima wondered what Ehalaweye was doing at 11:00 at night some 60 kms from Tanout when he was reportedly kidnapped, and speculated that Ehalaweye may have been on a reconnaissance mission for the GON. (Note: CNDH/FL is a GON human rights group, while the ANDDH is independent.) ALLEN