NIGER: FORCE ARMEES NIGERIENNES (FAN) COMMANDER

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000079 SIPDIS PARIS FOR AF WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2019 TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL NG SUBJECT: NIGER: FORCE ARMEES NIGERIENNES (FAN) COMMANDER REJECTS SELECTED U.S. MILITARY TRAINING, WANTS ALL OR NOTHING REF: 08 STATE 071963 NIAMEY 00000079 001.2 OF 002 Classified By: AMBASSADOR BERNADETTE M. ALLEN, REASONS: 1.4 a/b/d ¶1. (S) Summary. Embassy Niamey Acting Defense Attache learned informally from the Nigerien Deputy Chief of Defense Staff that the Forces Armees Nigeriennes (FAN) will scale back its acceptance of USG-offered military training until such time as all training programs offered prior to sanctions (reftel) are back on the table. Ambassador Allen confirmed this same information with Government of Niger (GON) Defense Minister (DefMin) Hamadou Djida. According to the DefMin, it was Major General Boureima who made the decision. Djida informed Ambassador that he shared with Boureima that the GON civilian leadership would not insist that the FAN accept USG-offered military training. End summary. ¶2. (S) Embassy Acting DATT learned in a meeting with Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, Brigadier General (BG) Seyni Garba, that Niger will not participate in the upcoming FLINTLOCK Planning conference nor will it send a representative to the Director of Military Intelligence Conference scheduled for March. They do plan, however, to send someone to the International Counter Terrorism Fellows Program this summer. According to BG Garba, the FAN would rather have a full partnership with the U.S. than the partial and uneven relationship that exists today. Since they cannot have the full partnership, they will decide which security assistance programs presented to them are acceptable and deemed of interest. The FAN complained that the current sanctions prevent them from fully participating in programs of interest to them and sending officers they name to participate in programs. (Note: Post believes this statement was made in reference to the last MIBOC-A in which they did not participate and the last FLINTLOCK Exercise in which participation of one of their selected officers was denied. End note.) BG Garba stated the FAN desired a close partnership with the U.S. and still considers the U.S. a friend, but it will have to continue the fight against drug traffickers and terrorism without USG support. ¶3. (S) BG Garba also made it clear to the Acting DATT that this decision is not meant to suspend our security assistance partnership, but that the FAN will scrutinize more closely their participation in such actitivies until the main issue at hand (i.e., the Dec 2007 incident) is resolved in a fair manner. This could mean that the FAN may decide not to participate in additional programs in the future. Acting DATT asked whether the USG can expect resolution to the December 2007 case still pending in the Ministry of Justice. Garba affirmed that all things were bound to come to light, but that we'd have to wait for matters to run their course. ¶4. (S) Ambassador met with DefMin Djida in his capacity as Acting Minister of State, Interior and Decentralization (S/I/D),and in the absence of Minister of S/I/D Adouba Albade who is in Mali for security discussions. Ambassador had requested a meeting with the Min. of S/I/D to discuss security along the Niger-Mali border, and took advantage of the meeting with the Acting Min. of S/I/D (filled by the DefMin) to inquire about the report that the FAN would no longer accept most USG-offered military training. Djida confirmed that the report was true and emphasized that it was General Boureima who made the decision. MinDef Djida said that as a GON civilian leader he informed Boureima that he would not insist that the military take training offers it did not want, but that Boureima should be prepared to live with the consequences of his decision. He added he understood the U.S. position on the December 2007 case and had reminded Boureima that the USG decision was based on its laws with regard to human rights, and was not a unilateral decision made by the Embassy. Ambassador confirmed that USG would like to see the investigation of the December 2007 case completed, to facilitate a return to robust military-to-military engagements. She added that it is unfortunate the FAN decided to limit its participation in USG-offered military programs, and reassured DefMin Djida that the USG wants to maintain a good working relationship with the GON. (Comment: The FAN's decision to limit its participation in U.S. security assistance programs complicates the way to conduct business as it relates to DOD programming and funding of military programs and activities. That the GON civilian leadership won't touch the issue speaks volumes about the weight the military still carries in NIAMEY 00000079 002.4 OF 002 decisionmaking in this young democracy. End Comment.) ALLEN