MNJ ATTACKS TANOUT; REGIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L NIAMEY 000081 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/22/2018 TAGS: MOPS PGOV ASEC NG SUBJECT: MNJ ATTACKS TANOUT; REGIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE PLANNED REF: (A) 07 NIAMEY 1479 (NOTAL) (B) 07 NIAMEY 1430 (NOTAL) Classified By: Donald W. Koran, DCM, reasons 1.4 (b/d) -------------- Tanout attacked -------------- ¶1. (U) The MNJ claims to have attacked the town of Tanout, which is located about 100 kms north of Zinder, some 1000 kms from Niamey. (We understand that the attack was on the government facilities located on the outskirts of town.) The MNJ says that it captured 11 people, including the prefet and two officers of the FNIS (a paramilitary unit of the interior ministry). It also claims to have killed seven FNIS and Gendarme troops, and captured arms, ammunition and the prefet's car. The MNJ website says the attack was in response to the prefet's overzealous actions, including a recent meeting in which he allegedly threatened local notables. ¶2. (C) The governor of Zinder said that three soldiers were killed, six people were injured, including three civilians, and nine people were taken hostage, including the prefet and the FNIS commander (a captain),and two soldiers were reported missing. He said that security forces would track the attackers. Military sources that said five soldiers were captured, three were killed and six were wounded. ¶3. (C) FYI: Nigerien security services had previously reported that they had apprehended people in the act of laying a landmine in Tanout on December 19 (ref A). Some people in Tanout believed the mine incident was staged by the authorities. One of those arrested in the incident was later released. He told the press that the prefet was behind his arrest and suggested that the mine incident may have been staged. He also claimed that the prefet had previously staged what was supposed to have been the surrender of MNJ fighters in Tanout. ¶4. (C) Comment: This is the first significant MNJ offensive operation since its unilateral Ramadan ceasefire ended October 12, and its first significant operation outside of the north. -------------- Regional Security Conference -------------- ¶5. (U) Following the recent ECOWAS meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkinabe President Compaore announced on January 18 that ECOWAS would hold a conference on the crises in northern Mali and Niger by the end of March. ¶6. (C) Comment: President Tandja has for sometime advocated a regional conference to address the situation in northern Niger and Mali. The GON has even created a committee to organize the conference (ref B). It's still not clear where the conference would be held. Our impression is that the GON sees the conference as an opportunity for the governments in the region to discuss how to defeat the insurgents military, rather than to discuss the substance of the insurgent grievances with them. ALLEN