MORE ON FORMER PM HAMA AMADOU'S RETURN TO PRISON AND

UNCLAS NIAMEY 000252 DEPT FOR AF/W, AF/RSA, AND DRL/EA ACCRA ALSO FOR AF/WA PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/W SIPDIS SENSITIVE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV SOCI PHUM PINR NG SUBJECT: MORE ON FORMER PM HAMA AMADOU'S RETURN TO PRISON AND UNDERLYING POLITICAL CURRENTS Ref: a) Niamey 00227, b) Niamey 00163, c) Niamey 00214, d) 08 Niamey 00632 ¶1. (U) On April 3, attorneys for former Prime Minister Hama Amadou held a press conference to request an explanation for Amadou's unexpected 4:00 a.m. return to prison on April 2 (Refs A and B). The attorneys stated that Amadou had fallen unconscious during his transfer, and that medical advisors had recommended his transfer to Europe for further examination and care. The attorneys also referred to their March 31 letter to the High Court of Justice investigatory committee calling attention to the situation and requesting urgent action to evacuate Amadou. His condition, although previously attributed to an attack of malaria, now appears to reflect hypertension and hyperglycemia. ¶2. (U) Local press dated April 5 - 7 started carrying copies of a letter requesting that Amadou be evacuated to the American Hospital in Neuilly, France. Although local newspapers also have published copies of the High Court of Justice's order to transfer Amadou to the hospital, there is no evidence of a parallel form directing that he had been cleared medically, and was fit to return to prison. ¶3. (SBU) Comment: Support for Hama Amadou runs deep within the MNSD, with an estimated 40 percent of its members backing him. Although this has divided the party, the lead entity in the ruling party coalition, there has also been a trend to quietly replace pro-Hama MNSD officials in the National Assembly with pro-Tandja ones. Recent examples include the replacement of Issaka Hassane Djegoule, a staunch Hama supporter as First Vice President by Mariama Alhassane, a pro-Tandja partisan. Also, Soumana Sanda, leader of the pro-Hama movement was replaced as President of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs Committee by Mahamadou Zada, who is pro-Tandja. ¶4. (SBU) Comment, continued: it is possible that public sentiment is shifting in favor of Amadou, and against President Tandja, regarding the detention of Amadou in prison without trial for ten months despite his medical condition as excessively punitive. Gambling on Amadou's surviving his medical condition may pose a greater risk than the GON realizes. End comment. ¶5. (U) Minimize considered. Whitaker