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

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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

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decisionmaking in this young democracy. End Comment.)
ALLEN