Niger: Tensions High as ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000826 DEPT FOR AF/W AND AF/RSA PLS PASS TO USAID FOR AFR/W ACCRA ALSO FOR USAID/WA ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU - J MAYBURY PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHER SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM SOCI PREL AORC PHUM NG SUBJECT: Niger: Tensions High as ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions NIAMEY 00000826 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. Summary: On October 17, heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) attended a special summit in Abuja to discuss the ongoing political crisis in Niger. This came on the same day when thousands of protesters held a rally in Niamey and demanded that the legislative elections scheduled for October 20 be canceled. Despite ECOWAS' imposing of sanctions, Niger's electoral commission has stated that elections will go on as planned. End Summary. ECOWAS Calls for Suspension of Oct. 20 NA Elections -------------- -------------- ¶2. On October 17, during a special summit organized in Abuja, ECOWAS formally announced that National Assembly elections slated for October 20 in Niger should be suspended indefinitely. They also announced ECOWAS' refusal to support any candidates presented by the Government of Niger (GON) for elective posts in international organizations and prohibited the GON from hosting ECOWAS meetings. In addition to these sanctions, ECOWAS sent a high-level delegation to Niamey on October 18 headed by Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to express regional concerns directly to president Tandja. Furthermore, ECOWAS named former Nigerian head of state General Abdulsalami A. Abubakar as mediator on Niger. Despite these actions, the GON announced that elections would go on as planned. ECOWAS Imposes Sanctions on Niger -------------- ¶3. The following is the final communique issued by ECOWAS heads of state and government: (Begin text) The Authority of Heads of State and Government considered the holding of the Referendum of 4 August 2009 and the circumstances of its organization as against the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Niger and a violation of the ECOWAS Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and called on the authorities in Niger to desist from further acts that may deepen divisions within the country and exacerbate the political atmosphere. In light of the foregoing, the Authority took the following decisions: a) Impose sanctions stipulated under Article 45 paragraph 2 (first and second bullet points) of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance, by "the refusal to support candidates presented by the Member State concerned for elective posts in the international organisations; and Refusal to organise ECOWAS meetings in the Member State concerned." b) Urgently request President Mamadou Tandja and the Niger authorities to suspend indefinitely the holding of the legislative elections scheduled for 20 October 2009 in favour of dialogue with the other leading political parties on resolving the political crisis in the country. c) Dispatch a high level mission comprising Her Excellency Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Republic of Liberia, and H.E. General (Rtd) Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, Former Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the President of ECOWAS Commission to Niamey to meet President Tandja on Sunday, 18 October 2009, to present the message of the Summit and facilitate the restoration of dialogue between the stakeholders. d) The Summit decided that failure by President Tandja to comply with the decisions of the Authority would lead to the automatic and immediate imposition of full sanctions as stipulated under Article 45 of the Supplementary Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance and a referral of the Niger file to the AU for similar action. e) The Heads of State and Government appointed General (Rtd) Abdulsalami A. Abubakar, Former Head of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as ECOWAS Mediator for Niger and urged him to convene immediately a meeting of Nigeriens stakeholders in Abuja to re-establish political dialogue aimed at creating national consensus on the way forward. (End text) Opposition Members Take to the Streets -------------- ¶4. On October 17, the Coordination of Democracy Forces for the Republic (CDFR),made up of political parties, civil society NIAMEY 00000826 002.2 OF 002 organizations, and labor unions, organized a rally to protest legislative elections slated for October 20. Although the national police estimate 5,500 protesters attended the rally, Embassy expects the opposition to claim as many as 10,000 participated. ¶5. During the rally, the opposition called on ECOWAS to intervene in the political situation in Niger. It further demanded the release of all opposition members still in prison; an end to political and judicial harassment against former parliamentarians, political leaders, and civil society activists; guarantees of freedom of assembly and equal access to public media; a repeal of "illegal decisions and acts"; and suspension of the current electoral process and restoration of "normal constitutional order." The event proceeded peacefully, without violence, property damage, or arrests. Niger Security Agents to Vote Early -------------- ¶6. On October 19, members of Niger's security forces will vote one day ahead of the parliamentary election scheduled for October 20. The early vote will allow the police, gendarmes, and military to provide security for the general public as they vote the following day. The GON declared October 20 a national holiday, and ordered the land border crossings to be closed for the 24-hour period, a common practice in Niger. WHITAKER