NIGER: TRACT THREATENS OPPONENTS OF THE FORMER

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000706 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ASEC NG SUBJECT: NIGER: TRACT THREATENS OPPONENTS OF THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER REF: (A) NIAMEY 638 (B) NIAMEY 632 (C) NIAMEY 624 (D) NIAMEY 1453 ¶1. (U) The French Embassy on July 18 received a tract expressing support for imprisoned former Prime Minister Hama Amadou, and threatening those responsible for his imprisonment (ref a, b, and c). It says that it will locate the homes of 10 members of the National Assembly ad hoc commission that reviewed the case, identify the 72 deputies who voted to allow the prosecution, and track the presidents of the three parliamentary groups, as well as certain members of the government, notably Interior Minister Albade. It promises to make life in Niamey impossible for those individuals. It ends by urging "excellencies" to take actions to ensure that their citizens do not become innocent victims of a conflict that does not concern them. ¶2. (U) The use of the plural "excellencies" suggests that the tract was sent to other Embassies as well, although we have not yet received a copy. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: We have no specific information on who is behind the tract, and particularly whether they are in a position to carry out their threats. (Another apparently Zarma group that threatened the GON last December has not been heard from since a January 10 posting on its web site.) The use of a few Zarma expressions in the letter, which is otherwise in French, and the fact that nine of the ten named deputies threatened in the letter are Hausa, suggests a troubling ethnic angle to the missive. While the tract urges measures to ensure the safety of foreign citizens, it provides no details that would suggest what such measures might be. ALLEN