NIGER: GON DETENTION OF SWISS NATIONALS REVEALED

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000223 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, INR/AA, DS, DS/IP/AF, AND CA/OCS PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL PTER PINR PINS SZ ML NG SUBJECT: NIGER: GON DETENTION OF SWISS NATIONALS REVEALED REF: A. BAMAKO 00047 ¶B. NIAMEY 00108 ¶1. (SBU) On April 1, Ursula Funk (protect),a Swiss national heading the Swiss Cooperation Office, advised CDA at an evening reception for newly accredited, Abuja-based Swiss Ambassador Baum, that Nigerien security forces had detained four Swiss nationals in February 2009 in Dirkou. Dirkou, located in Niger,s northeast corner is well within the portion of Niger under a state of alert since mid-2007. Funk found this quite strange, given the yet unresolved January 22 kidnapping of four Europeans, including two Swiss nationals, along the Mali-Niger border (Ref A). ¶2. (SBU) Funk stated that the four had traveled throughout Niger for quite some time, and apparently were in route to Chad when security forces detained them and escorted them back to Niamey. The eldest of the four, 78, stated that he and his wife had traveled throughout Africa for more than 35 years, and knew more about the conditions there than others. The four were quite upset at the interruption of their travel, although they admitted that they had not read travel warnings regarding Niger. ¶3. (SBU) Funk added that there are numerous web sites that advertise travel within Niger to a number of sites within the Agadez region, which remains under a state of alert through a series of 90-day executive orders (Ref B). Minimize considered WHITAKER