Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NIAMEY223
2009-04-03 08:53:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Niamey
Cable title:  

NIGER: GON DETENTION OF SWISS NATIONALS REVEALED

Tags:  ASEC PGOV PREL PTER PINR PINS SZ ML NG 
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VZCZCXRO8576
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0223 0930853
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030853Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4940
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3495
RUEHSW/AMEMBASSY BERN 0061
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0802
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
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

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).

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