GON OPENS PEACE AND SECURITY FORUM ON NORTH

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000109 DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AND DRL/EA PARIS FOR AF WATCHER PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W PLS PASS TO TSCTP COLLECTIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI PHUM SCUL PINR PTER ML NG SUBJECT: GON OPENS PEACE AND SECURITY FORUM ON NORTH Ref: a) 08 Niamey 01116, b) Niamey 00090, c) USDAO Niamey IIR 6 928 0017 09 ¶1. On February 25, the Government of Niger (GON) opened the two-day "Forum on Peace and Security" at the Hotel Tenere in Niamey under the auspices of the Ministry of Interior and the High Commissioner for the Restoration of Peace. DCM and Pol Specialist attended the opening session, which roughly 250 were present, including governors, majors, members of parliament, civil society and NGO representatives, village leaders and traditional chiefs, diplomats, and journalists. The event also drew the participation of a sizable delegation from Mali, including the governors of Gao and Kidal, the mayor of Anderamboukane, the president of a council of sages of Menaka, a national assembly deputy, NGO representatives, and prominent Tuareg leaders. ¶2. Niger's High Commissioner for the Restoration of Peace, Mohamed Anacko, gave in his welcoming speech background to the conflict in northern Niger from the early 90s to the 1995 Peace Accord brokered by Nigerien mediators with support from France, the United States, Libya, Algeria, and Burkina Faso. He said that the current conflict that broke out in early 2007 had "paralyzed economic activities in the Agadez region," afflicted Nigerien families, and threatened national unity. He cited the GON's efforts, with support from "friendly countries," in reintegrating ex-combatants and developing social and economic reinsertion programs for them. Anacko welcomed the Malian delegation and praised their "testimony for peace." He defined the objectives of the forum as making a candid, "non-complacent" analysis of the insecurity situation, and developing and agreeing on strategies to settle the conflict in northern Mali and Niger, deriving on the participants' expertise, experiences, and wisdom. ¶3. In his opening remarks, the GON's Minister of Interior, Public Security, and Decentralization Albade Abouba declared that "at a moment where Niger and Mali, unfortunately, once again, face conflict due to the senseless acts of some of their youth, this forum could not be more timely." He pointed out that some of their motivations were "understandable," particularly those seeking the economic and social development of their region. He stressed that the governments of Mali and Niger had made considerable efforts to address those demands, which led to peace accords in the 1990s with support from "friendly countries." He said that the implementation of various programs had allowed the reintegration and reinsertion of more than 7,000 ex-combatants, but "unexpectedly," despite those efforts and prospects for economic growth, a "new behavior" arose, which he thought was not a rebellion, but banditry and even terrorism in the northern regions, affecting all development efforts and perspectives. ¶4. Albade noted that a strong popular mobilization against those acts bore fruit, and welcomed the "gradual trend toward peace" in recent weeks. He expressed wishes that the forum could lead to peace and sustainable development via a "regular and concerted approach" of consultations. He concluded by saying, "I hope (the forum) will lead to crucial and everlasting peace...arms should stop rumbling and violence should cease...the government has high expectations for this forum." ALLEN