Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 251287 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
AEMR ASEC AMGT AE AS AMED AVIAN AU AF AORC AGENDA AO AR AM APER AFIN ATRN AJ ABUD ARABL AL AG AODE ALOW ADANA AADP AND APECO ACABQ ASEAN AA AFFAIRS AID AGR AY AGS AFSI AGOA AMB ARF ANET ASCH ACOA AFLU AFSN AMEX AFDB ABLD AESC AFGHANISTAN AINF AVIATION ARR ARSO ANDREW ASSEMBLY AIDS APRC ASSK ADCO ASIG AC AZ APEC AFINM ADB AP ACOTA ASEX ACKM ASUP ANTITERRORISM ADPM AINR ARABLEAGUE AGAO AORG AMTC AIN ACCOUNT ASECAFINGMGRIZOREPTU AIDAC AINT ARCH AMGTKSUP ALAMI AMCHAMS ALJAZEERA AVIANFLU AORD AOREC ALIREZA AOMS AMGMT ABDALLAH AORCAE AHMED ACCELERATED AUC ALZUGUREN ANGEL AORL ASECIR AMG AMBASSADOR AEMRASECCASCKFLOMARRPRELPINRAMGTJMXL ADM ASES ABMC AER AMER ASE AMGTHA ARNOLDFREDERICK AOPC ACS AFL AEGR ASED AFPREL AGRI AMCHAM ARNOLD AN ANATO AME APERTH ASECSI AT ACDA ASEDC AIT AMERICA AMLB AMGE ACTION AGMT AFINIZ ASECVE ADRC ABER AGIT APCS AEMED ARABBL ARC ASO AIAG ACEC ASR ASECM ARG AEC ABT ADIP ADCP ANARCHISTS AORCUN AOWC ASJA AALC AX AROC ARM AGENCIES ALBE AK AZE AOPR AREP AMIA ASCE ALANAZI ABDULRAHMEN ABDULHADI AINFCY ARMS ASECEFINKCRMKPAOPTERKHLSAEMRNS AGRICULTURE AFPK AOCR ALEXANDER ATRD ATFN ABLG AORCD AFGHAN ARAS AORCYM AVERY ALVAREZ ACBAQ ALOWAR ANTOINE ABLDG ALAB AMERICAS AFAF ASECAFIN ASEK ASCC AMCT AMGTATK AMT APDC AEMRS ASECE AFSA ATRA ARTICLE ARENA AISG AEMRBC AFR AEIR ASECAF AFARI AMPR ASPA ASOC ANTONIO AORCL ASECARP APRM AUSTRALIAGROUP ASEG AFOR AEAID AMEDI ASECTH ASIC AFDIN AGUIRRE AUNR ASFC AOIC ANTXON ASA ASECCASC ALI AORCEUNPREFPRELSMIGBN ASECKHLS ASSSEMBLY ASECVZ AI ASECPGOV ASIR ASCEC ASAC ARAB AIEA ADMIRAL AUSGR AQ AMTG ARRMZY ANC APR AMAT AIHRC AFU ADEL AECL ACAO AMEMR ADEP AV AW AOR ALL ALOUNI AORCUNGA ALNEA ASC AORCO ARMITAGE AGENGA AGRIC AEM ACOAAMGT AGUILAR AFPHUM AMEDCASCKFLO AFZAL AAA ATPDEA ASECPHUM ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
ETRD ETTC EU ECON EFIN EAGR EAID ELAB EINV ENIV ENRG EPET EZ ELTN ELECTIONS ECPS ET ER EG EUN EIND ECONOMICS EMIN ECIN EINT EWWT EAIR EN ENGR ES EI ETMIN EL EPA EARG EFIS ECONOMY EC EK ELAM ECONOMIC EAR ESDP ECCP ELN EUM EUMEM ECA EAP ELEC ECOWAS EFTA EXIM ETTD EDRC ECOSOC ECPSN ENVIRONMENT ECO EMAIL ECTRD EREL EDU ENERG ENERGY ENVR ETRAD EAC EXTERNAL EFIC ECIP ERTD EUC ENRGMO EINZ ESTH ECCT EAGER ECPN ELNT ERD EGEN ETRN EIVN ETDR EXEC EIAD EIAR EVN EPRT ETTF ENGY EAIDCIN EXPORT ETRC ESA EIB EAPC EPIT ESOCI ETRB EINDQTRD ENRC EGOV ECLAC EUR ELF ETEL ENRGUA EVIN EARI ESCAP EID ERIN ELAN ENVT EDEV EWWY EXBS ECOM EV ELNTECON ECE ETRDGK EPETEIND ESCI ETRDAORC EAIDETRD ETTR EMS EAGRECONEINVPGOVBN EBRD EUREM ERGR EAGRBN EAUD EFI ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ETRO ENRGY EGAR ESSO EGAD ENV ENER EAIDXMXAXBXFFR ELA EET EINVETRD EETC EIDN ERGY ETRDPGOV EING EMINCG EINVECON EURM EEC EICN EINO EPSC ELAP ELABPGOVBN EE ESPS ETRA ECONETRDBESPAR ERICKSON EEOC EVENTS EPIN EB ECUN EPWR ENG EX EH EAIDAR EAIS ELBA EPETUN ETRDEIQ EENV ECPC ETRP ECONENRG EUEAID EWT EEB EAIDNI ESENV EADM ECN ENRGKNNP ETAD ETR ECONETRDEAGRJA ETRG ETER EDUC EITC EBUD EAIF EBEXP EAIDS EITI EGOVSY EFQ ECOQKPKO ETRGY ESF EUE EAIC EPGOV ENFR EAGRE ENRD EINTECPS EAVI ETC ETCC EIAID EAIDAF EAGREAIDPGOVPRELBN EAOD ETRDA EURN EASS EINVA EAIDRW EON ECOR EPREL EGPHUM ELTM ECOS EINN ENNP EUPGOV EAGRTR ECONCS ETIO ETRDGR EAIDB EISNAR EIFN ESPINOSA EAIDASEC ELIN EWTR EMED ETFN ETT EADI EPTER ELDIN EINVEFIN ESS ENRGIZ EQRD ESOC ETRDECD ECINECONCS EAIT ECONEAIR ECONEFIN EUNJ ENRGKNNPMNUCPARMPRELNPTIAEAJMXL ELAD EFIM ETIC EFND EFN ETLN ENGRD EWRG ETA EIN EAIRECONRP EXIMOPIC ERA ENRGJM ECONEGE ENVI ECHEVARRIA EMINETRD EAD ECONIZ EENG ELBR EWWC ELTD EAIDMG ETRK EIPR EISNLN ETEX EPTED EFINECONCS EPCS EAG ETRDKIPR ED EAIO ETRDEC ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ERNG EFINU EURFOR EWWI ELTNSNAR ETD EAIRASECCASCID EOXC ESTN EAIDAORC EAGRRP ETRDEMIN ELABPHUMSMIGKCRMBN ETRDEINVTINTCS EGHG EAIDPHUMPRELUG EAGRBTIOBEXPETRDBN EDA EPETPGOV ELAINE EUCOM EMW EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM ELB EINDETRD EMI ETRDECONWTOCS EINR ESTRADA EHUM EFNI ELABV ENR EMN EXO EWWTPRELPGOVMASSMARRBN EATO END EP EINVETC ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID ELTRN EIQ ETTW EAI ENGRG ETRED ENDURING ETTRD EAIDEGZ EOCN EINF EUPREL ENRL ECPO ENLT EEFIN EPPD ECOIN EUEAGR EISL EIDE ENRGSD EINVECONSENVCSJA EAIG ENTG EEPET EUNCH EPECO ETZ EPAT EPTE EAIRGM ETRDPREL EUNGRSISAFPKSYLESO ETTN EINVKSCA ESLCO EBMGT ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EFLU ELND EFINOECD EAIDHO EDUARDO ENEG ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EFINTS ECONQH ENRGPREL EUNPHUM EINDIR EPE EMINECINECONSENVTBIONS EFINM ECRM EQ EWWTSP ECONPGOVBN
KFLO KPKO KDEM KFLU KTEX KMDR KPAO KCRM KIDE KN KNNP KG KMCA KZ KJUS KWBG KU KDMR KAWC KCOR KPAL KOMC KTDB KTIA KISL KHIV KHUM KTER KCFE KTFN KS KIRF KTIP KIRC KSCA KICA KIPR KPWR KWMN KE KGIC KGIT KSTC KACT KSEP KFRD KUNR KHLS KCRS KRVC KUWAIT KVPR KSRE KMPI KMRS KNRV KNEI KCIP KSEO KITA KDRG KV KSUM KCUL KPET KBCT KO KSEC KOLY KNAR KGHG KSAF KWNM KNUC KMNP KVIR KPOL KOCI KPIR KLIG KSAC KSTH KNPT KINL KPRP KRIM KICC KIFR KPRV KAWK KFIN KT KVRC KR KHDP KGOV KPOW KTBT KPMI KPOA KRIF KEDEM KFSC KY KGCC KATRINA KWAC KSPR KTBD KBIO KSCI KRCM KNNB KBNC KIMT KCSY KINR KRAD KMFO KCORR KW KDEMSOCI KNEP KFPC KEMPI KBTR KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNPP KTTB KTFIN KBTS KCOM KFTN KMOC KOR KDP KPOP KGHA KSLG KMCR KJUST KUM KMSG KHPD KREC KIPRTRD KPREL KEN KCSA KCRIM KGLB KAKA KWWT KUNP KCRN KISLPINR KLFU KUNC KEDU KCMA KREF KPAS KRKO KNNC KLHS KWAK KOC KAPO KTDD KOGL KLAP KECF KCRCM KNDP KSEAO KCIS KISM KREL KISR KISC KKPO KWCR KPFO KUS KX KWCI KRFD KWPG KTRD KH KLSO KEVIN KEANE KACW KWRF KNAO KETTC KTAO KWIR KVCORR KDEMGT KPLS KICT KWGB KIDS KSCS KIRP KSTCPL KDEN KLAB KFLOA KIND KMIG KPPAO KPRO KLEG KGKG KCUM KTTP KWPA KIIP KPEO KICR KNNA KMGT KCROM KMCC KLPM KNNPGM KSIA KSI KWWW KOMS KESS KMCAJO KWN KTDM KDCM KCM KVPRKHLS KENV KCCP KGCN KCEM KEMR KWMNKDEM KNNPPARM KDRM KWIM KJRE KAID KWMM KPAONZ KUAE KTFR KIF KNAP KPSC KSOCI KCWI KAUST KPIN KCHG KLBO KIRCOEXC KI KIRCHOFF KSTT KNPR KDRL KCFC KLTN KPAOKMDRKE KPALAOIS KESO KKOR KSMT KFTFN KTFM KDEMK KPKP KOCM KNN KISLSCUL KFRDSOCIRO KINT KRG KWMNSMIG KSTCC KPAOY KFOR KWPR KSEPCVIS KGIV KSEI KIL KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KQ KEMS KHSL KTNF KPDD KANSOU KKIV KFCE KTTC KGH KNNNP KK KSCT KWNN KAWX KOMCSG KEIM KTSD KFIU KDTB KFGM KACP KWWMN KWAWC KSPA KGICKS KNUP KNNO KISLAO KTPN KSTS KPRM KPALPREL KPO KTLA KCRP KNMP KAWCK KCERS KDUM KEDM KTIALG KWUN KPTS KPEM KMEPI KAWL KHMN KCRO KCMR KPTD KCROR KMPT KTRF KSKN KMAC KUK KIRL KEM KSOC KBTC KOM KINP KDEMAF KTNBT KISK KRM KWBW KBWG KNNPMNUC KNOP KSUP KCOG KNET KWBC KESP KMRD KEBG KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KPWG KOMCCO KRGY KNNF KPROG KJAN KFRED KPOKO KM KWMNCS KMPF KJWC KJU KSMIG KALR KRAL KDGOV KPA KCRMJA KCRI KAYLA KPGOV KRD KNNPCH KFEM KPRD KFAM KALM KIPRETRDKCRM KMPP KADM KRFR KMWN KWRG KTIAPARM KTIAEUN KRDP KLIP KDDEM KTIAIC KWKN KPAD KDM KRCS KWBGSY KEAI KIVP KPAOPREL KUNH KTSC KIPT KNP KJUSTH KGOR KEPREL KHSA KGHGHIV KNNR KOMH KRCIM KWPB KWIC KINF KPER KILS KA KNRG KCSI KFRP KLFLO KFE KNPPIS KQM KQRDQ KERG KPAOPHUM KSUMPHUM KVBL KARIM KOSOVO KNSD KUIR KWHG KWBGXF KWMNU KPBT KKNP KERF KCRT KVIS KWRC KVIP KTFS KMARR KDGR KPAI KDE KTCRE KMPIO KUNRAORC KHOURY KAWS KPAK KOEM KCGC KID KVRP KCPS KIVR KBDS KWOMN KIIC KTFNJA KARZAI KMVP KHJUS KPKOUNSC KMAR KIBL KUNA KSA KIS KJUSAF KDEV KPMO KHIB KIRD KOUYATE KIPRZ KBEM KPAM KDET KPPD KOSCE KJUSKUNR KICCPUR KRMS KWMNPREL KWMJN KREISLER KWM KDHS KRV KPOV KWMNCI KMPL KFLD KWWN KCVM KIMMITT KCASC KOMO KNATO KDDG KHGH KRF KSCAECON KWMEN KRIC
PREL PINR PGOV PHUM PTER PE PREF PARM PBTS PINS PHSA PK PL PM PNAT PHAS PO PROP PGOVE PA PU POLITICAL PPTER POL PALESTINIAN PHUN PIN PAMQ PPA PSEC POLM PBIO PSOE PDEM PAK PF PKAO PGOVPRELMARRMOPS PMIL PV POLITICS PRELS POLICY PRELHA PIRN PINT PGOG PERSONS PRC PEACE PROCESS PRELPGOV PROV PFOV PKK PRE PT PIRF PSI PRL PRELAF PROG PARMP PERL PUNE PREFA PP PGOB PUM PROTECTION PARTIES PRIL PEL PAGE PS PGO PCUL PLUM PIF PGOVENRGCVISMASSEAIDOPRCEWWTBN PMUC PCOR PAS PB PKO PY PKST PTR PRM POUS PRELIZ PGIC PHUMS PAL PNUC PLO PMOPS PHM PGOVBL PBK PELOSI PTE PGOVAU PNR PINSO PRO PLAB PREM PNIR PSOCI PBS PD PHUML PERURENA PKPA PVOV PMAR PHUMCF PUHM PHUH PRELPGOVETTCIRAE PRT PROPERTY PEPFAR PREI POLUN PAR PINSF PREFL PH PREC PPD PING PQL PINSCE PGV PREO PRELUN POV PGOVPHUM PINRES PRES PGOC PINO POTUS PTERE PRELKPAO PRGOV PETR PGOVEAGRKMCAKNARBN PPKO PARLIAMENT PEPR PMIG PTBS PACE PETER PMDL PVIP PKPO POLMIL PTEL PJUS PHUMNI PRELKPAOIZ PGOVPREL POGV PEREZ POWELL PMASS PDOV PARN PG PPOL PGIV PAIGH PBOV PETROL PGPV PGOVL POSTS PSO PRELEU PRELECON PHUMPINS PGOVKCMABN PQM PRELSP PRGO PATTY PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PGVO PROTESTS PRELPLS PKFK PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PARAGRAPH PRELGOV POG PTRD PTERM PBTSAG PHUMKPAL PRELPK PTERPGOV PAO PRIVATIZATION PSCE PPAO PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PARALYMPIC PRUM PKPRP PETERS PAHO PARMS PGREL PINV POINS PHUMPREL POREL PRELNL PHUMPGOV PGOVQL PLAN PRELL PARP PROVE PSOC PDD PRELNP PRELBR PKMN PGKV PUAS PRELTBIOBA PBTSEWWT PTERIS PGOVU PRELGG PHUMPRELPGOV PFOR PEPGOV PRELUNSC PRAM PICES PTERIZ PREK PRELEAGR PRELEUN PHUME PHU PHUMKCRS PRESL PRTER PGOF PARK PGOVSOCI PTERPREL PGOVEAID PGOVPHUMKPAO PINSKISL PREZ PGOVAF PARMEUN PECON PINL POGOV PGOVLO PIERRE PRELPHUM PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PBST PKPAO PHUMHUPPS PGOVPOL PASS PPGOV PROGV PAGR PHALANAGE PARTY PRELID PGOVID PHUMR PHSAQ PINRAMGT PSA PRELM PRELMU PIA PINRPE PBTSRU PARMIR PEDRO PNUK PVPR PINOCHET PAARM PRFE PRELEIN PINF PCI PSEPC PGOVSU PRLE PDIP PHEM PRELB PORG PGGOC POLG POPDC PGOVPM PWMN PDRG PHUMK PINB PRELAL PRER PFIN PNRG PRED POLI PHUMBO PHYTRP PROLIFERATION PHARM PUOS PRHUM PUNR PENA PGOVREL PETRAEUS PGOVKDEM PGOVENRG PHUS PRESIDENT PTERKU PRELKSUMXABN PGOVSI PHUMQHA PKISL PIR PGOVZI PHUMIZNL PKNP PRELEVU PMIN PHIM PHUMBA PUBLIC PHAM PRELKPKO PMR PARTM PPREL PN PROL PDA PGOVECON PKBL PKEAID PERM PRELEZ PRELC PER PHJM PGOVPRELPINRBN PRFL PLN PWBG PNG PHUMA PGOR PHUMPTER POLINT PPEF PKPAL PNNL PMARR PAC PTIA PKDEM PAUL PREG PTERR PTERPRELPARMPGOVPBTSETTCEAIRELTNTC PRELJA POLS PI PNS PAREL PENV PTEROREP PGOVM PINER PBGT PHSAUNSC PTERDJ PRELEAID PARMIN PKIR PLEC PCRM PNET PARR PRELETRD PRELBN PINRTH PREJ PEACEKEEPINGFORCES PEMEX PRELZ PFLP PBPTS PTGOV PREVAL PRELSW PAUM PRF PHUMKDEM PATRICK PGOVKMCAPHUMBN PRELA PNUM PGGV PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PBT PIND PTEP PTERKS PGOVJM PGOT PRELMARR PGOVCU PREV PREFF PRWL PET PROB PRELPHUMP PHUMAF PVTS PRELAFDB PSNR PGOVECONPRELBU PGOVZL PREP PHUMPRELBN PHSAPREL PARCA PGREV PGOVDO PGON PCON PODC PRELOV PHSAK PSHA PGOVGM PRELP POSCE PGOVPTER PHUMRU PINRHU PARMR PGOVTI PPEL PMAT PAN PANAM PGOVBO PRELHRC

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 06NIAMEY847, OPPOSITION PUBLISHER, EDITOR JAILED FOR ALLEGING

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #06NIAMEY847.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06NIAMEY847 2006-08-14 15:58 2011-08-30 01:44 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Niamey
VZCZCXRO9892
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0847/01 2261558
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141558Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2773
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUFGNOA/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 NIAMEY 000847 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT: PASS TO MCA; DRL; AF/W FOR BACHMAN; AF/RSA FOR 
HARPOLE; 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID KPAO PGOV PHUM SOCI KCOR KMCA NG
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PUBLISHER, EDITOR JAILED FOR ALLEGING 
GON TILT TOWARD IRAN - BUT THE REAL STORY HERE IS CORRUPTION 
 
REF: A. NIAMEY 682 
 
     B. NIAMEY 746 
     C. NIAMEY 788 
     D. NIAMEY 741 
 
NIAMEY 00000847  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
------- 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
1. (SBU) On August 4, Maman Abou and Oumarou Keita - 
respectively the Publisher and the Editor-in-Chief of "Le 
Republican," Niger's oldest, best respected, and most widely 
circulated opposition weekly - were arrested and jailed by 
the Detective Branch of the Nigerien National Police. The two 
men were charged with dissemination of false news and 
defamation of the Government of Niger (GON) after the GON 
lodged a complaint relating to an editorial published in the 
July 27 edition of "Le Republican." In this editorial, Keita 
alleged that Prime Minister (PM) Hama Amadou was pushing for 
a realignment of Nigerien foreign policy toward nations like 
Iran and Venezuela and away from Niger's traditional western 
aid partners. Many Nigerien observers consider the storm over 
the editorial a red-herring, and claim that the GON is in 
fact out to punish the paper for its recent revelations of 
government corruption - an issue "Le Republican" claimed 
underlay the foreign policy "realignment" in the first place. 
The GON's move against the newspaper has become mixed up with 
an ongoing public controversy over corruption in the 
government's management of a large donor funded effort to aid 
the country's failing primary schools. END SUMMARY 
 
---------------- 
PROXIMATE CAUSES 
---------------- 
 
2.  (SBU) In a July 27 editorial, "Le Republican" made wide 
ranging claims that Hama Amadou sought a foreign policy 
realignment favoring Iran and Venezuela over traditional 
western partners. The proof consisted entirely in the fact 
that the PM had had a dinner meeting with the Iranian 
Ambassador. The conjectural element of the editorial was as 
elaborate as its factual basis was stingy, with "Le 
Republican" arguing that Hama's "realignment" was essentially 
a search for aid and development assistance with fewer good 
governance strings attached. Describing the PM's supposed 
logic, Keita wrote: "one must go and compromise with the 
devil, as he has no regard for transparency in the management 
of public funds, or for human rights." The editorial alleged 
that the PM made this move after European donors suspended 
payments to a ten-year education development fund (known as 
the PDDE) after an audit revealed poor management and 
probable corruption in the form of over-billing, no bid 
contracts, and implausible expenses. Fearing that his 
government's ability to embezzle donor funds for party 
building and personal enrichment would run afoul of western 
donors' safeguards, Amadou allegedly intended to reorient 
Niger's aid relationship toward less scrupulous partners like 
Venezuela and Iran. The editorial cited alleged comments by 
the PM in which he lashed out at "whites," and their tendency 
to tell the GON how to use donor money, and contrasting this 
approach unfavorably with that of other donors, like Iran, 
China, and Venezuela, who adopted a more laissez faire 
approach. 
 
3. (U) The GON reacted quickly to the editorial. On July 31, 
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ran a response in the 
government daily "Le Sahel," denying any shift in Nigerien 
foreign policy, and stressing that the country sought good 
relations with and aid from all nations, favoring none. The 
response also emphasized that the President, not the Prime 
Minister, was responsible for determining the course of 
Nigerien foreign policy. On August 4, the GON filed a 
defamation case against "Le Republican's" leadership. Maman 
Abou and Oumarou Keita were arrested and placed under 
investigative detention by the Detective Branch. On August 8, 
the men were transferred, respectively, to the civil prisons 
of Tera and Filingue. They remain incarcerated as of this 
writing, with a court date tentatively scheduled for August 
14. NOTE: "Le Republican" continues to appear on a weekly 
basis, and no move has been made to ban its publication. END 
NOTE 
 
4. (U) Maman Abou and his staff at "Le Republican" are no 
strangers to this sort of controversy. In November of 2003, 
 
NIAMEY 00000847  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
Abou was arrested and charged with defamation and theft after 
publishing an article accusing the GON of awarding no-bid 
contracts to its political supporters. The article was based 
partly on documents that Abou allegedly obtained illegally 
from the concerned ministries. While Abou was given 
provisional release in early 2004, and has never been brought 
to trial, charges from this 2003 case are still, technically, 
pending against him. Ironically, Oumarou Keita had 
participated in a Public Affairs sponsored panel discussion 
on freedom of the press at the American Cultural Center two 
weeks before his arrest. 
 
------------------- 
THE PDDE CONNECTION 
------------------- 
 
5. (U) The arrests were accompanied by the usual 
denunciations by the NGO, private press, and human rights 
community, yet these groups also alleged that the GON sought 
to punish "Le Republican" less for the foreign policy piece 
than for its recent reporting on the PDDE scandal. The Plan 
Decennal pour le Developpement de l'Education (PDDE) is a 
ten-year, 26 billion CFA (approximately $51 million) program 
funded by the World Bank and a consortium of European 
bi-lateral donors led by France. It is the local face of the 
Education for All Initiative (Fast Track). The program began 
in May of 2005; by winter, the "Nigerien street" was rife 
with rumors to the effect that substantial sums were being 
skimmed off the top by the GON agency charged with 
administering the program - the Ministry of Basic Education 
and Literacy. 
 
6. (SBU) Alone among private opposition papers, "Le 
Republican" went beyond vituperative editorial comment into 
the realm of true investigative reporting with its accurate 
and extensive coverage of the PDDE scandal. From February 
onward, the paper published reports of corruption in the 
administration of the PDDE based on information received from 
sources within the Ministry and its regional directorates. 
The titles are indicative of the content: "No bid contracts 
and overcharges at Basic Education" (February 16); "The 
overcharges that Hamani Harouna' (then GON Minister of Basic 
Education) 'is hiding" (16th March). The journal re-printed 
copies of correspondence between the Ministry of Basic 
Education and its suppliers, and between Minister Hamani 
Harouna and Prime Minister Hama Amadou in which agreements on 
prices and supplies were fixed by the Minister and cleared by 
the PM's office. The articles also featured tables that 
contrasted the market prices of school supplies with the 
prices paid by the GON using PDDE funds, and alleged 
overcharges of 187% to 800%. 
 
7. (U) "Le Republican's" reports and the public's 
speculations were born out when the donors' group released 
the first annual audit of the PDDE on June 6. Deloitte and 
Touche SA of Burkina Faso, selected by the GON, conducted an 
audit covering calendar year 2005.  The audit revealed a 
consistent pattern of over-charges, unjustified expenses, 
unauthorized obligations, no-bid contracting, bias toward 
politically connected firms in the awarding of contracts, and 
multiple instances of payments being made for materials that 
were never received. All of this, the audit alleged, was 
enabled by poor inventory and management controls. In 
substance if not in tone, Deloitte and Touche echoed "Le 
Republican's" reports of February and March. The audit cited 
instances of unexplained mark ups, in which the Ministry 
added as much as 20 million CFA (approximately $40,000) to a 
supplier's contract for no apparent reason. In another 
instance, fuel bills for Ministry vehicles were so inflated 
that the cars would have to have been driven 1,000 km a day 
for 25 days in a row to justify the expense. Time after time, 
the auditors concluded sections of their report with language 
such as: "we are not in a position to certify the rational 
utilization of these funds; in our view, these payments have 
not been made in a rational manner;" or, simply, "this 
payment is not rational." 
 
8. (U) In a public letter to the Minister of Basic Education 
on June 29, the donors' group announced the suspension of 
payments and demanded that the GON meet three conditions to 
restore their confidence: the Ministry of Basic Education 
must conduct an audit, again by Deloitte and Touche, of 
moneys spent during the spring 2006 semester; the GON must 
provide a written response to the findings of the 2005 audit, 
 
NIAMEY 00000847  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
making clear how it intends to rectify bias in the 
contracting system, reimburse misused funds, and apply 
administrative and judicial penalties to responsible persons; 
finally, acting in accordance with Nigerien law, the GON must 
punish any individual responsible for the misuse of PDDE 
funds, and reorganize the management of the funds. These 
measures will be reviewed by the partners, who reserve the 
right to determine if they have been implemented with 
sufficient rigor. Speaking on behalf of the donors on July 
20, The French Ambassador underscored their concern, noting: 
"it is up to the government to cope with the consequences," 
of the scandal. 
 
9. (U) In light of its earlier reportage, "Le Republican" was 
well positioned to make hay with the results of the audit, 
which received extensive coverage in its June 15 edition. A 
headline stating: "Embezzlement at MEBA, the audit confirms: 
overcharges, payment without delivery, unauthorized spending 
by the Ministry, and the degradation of the procedures for 
public procurement," covered "Le Republican's" front page 
that day. The paper continued to report the audit's 
conclusions and draw attention to the PDDE scandal in 
subsequent issues, under headlines like: "embezzlement of 
public funds at the Ministry of Basic Education." 
 
10. (SBU) The pace of events quickened after the release of 
the audit. In a press conference following the audit's 
release, Basic Education Minister Hamani Harouna appeared to 
blame his predecessor at Basic Education, GON Health Minister 
Ari Ibrahim, for some of the Ministry's management problems. 
Ibrahim, a member of another ruling coalition political 
party, responded in kind, and the GON was widely perceived to 
have cut its losses by turning both men out of office on June 
27th (reftel A). In mid-July, the gravity of the crisis 
facing Nigerien schools, and the prevalence of corruption in 
the education sector were underscored by abysmal standardized 
test results (reftels B, C). This convergence of 
circumstances: popular concern over the quality of public 
school instruction; corruption in the administration of the 
PDDE; corruption in the administration of school exams; and, 
the abysmal test results, set the political climate for July, 
and dominated debate. This pressure appears to have inspired 
various responses by the GON, some positive, others negative. 
As noted in reftels B and C, the GON cracked down on 
corruption in the administration of school exams, but left 
bribe payers untouched. While the GON replaced both Hamani 
Harouna and Ari Ibrahim with more technically competent and 
politically neutral successors, it has yet to embark on the 
wide-ranging reforms and prosecutions called for by the 
donors' group. Finally, on August 4, the GON moved against 
Abou and Keita. 
 
---------------------- 
CONCLUSION AND COMMENT 
---------------------- 
 
11. (SBU) Unlike the Superior Council on Communications' 
(CSC) June 28 banning of the private opposition weekly 
"L'Opinion," (reftel D) the arrest and imprisonment of Maman 
Abou and Oumarou Keita appears to be linked to much larger 
political developments in Niger. A foreign policy shift 
toward Iran and Venezuela, however, is not one of them. When 
viewed against the rigorous journalistic standards manifest 
in its reporting on the PDDE affair, "Le Republican's" July 
27 foreign policy editorial seems a shoddy piece of work. A 
mountain of conjecture rests on a grain of fact - that the PM 
had dinner with the Iranian Ambassador at around the same 
time that Hugo Chavez was touring some neighboring capitals. 
 
12. (SBU) In point of fact, Nigerien foreign policy has 
always been an outgrowth of the country's dependence on 
foreign aid. More than forty percent of the national budget 
derives from foreign assistance; for capitol projects, that 
figure is closer to ninety percent. Therefore, Niger is open 
to any country that could help it meet its development needs, 
make payroll, or simply provide a good price for its few 
marketable exports. This precariousness contributes to the 
GON's sensitivity toward allegations of aid mismanagement. 
(The GON has often shared its frustration at the prospect of 
aid money flowing through NGOs and IOs with stricter 
management controls rather than through its ministries with 
bi-lateral donors, including us). But it also enforces a 
certain moderation. The world's least developed country, 
Niger simply cannot afford to antagonize donors, either by 
 
NIAMEY 00000847  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
abusing their funds or by pursuing an ideological foreign 
policy oriented toward pariah states and marginal aid donors 
like Iran and Venezuela. The country's poverty enforces 
pragmatism; its dependency enforces good habits. We therefore 
expect that the GON will eventually move to satisfy the PDDE 
donors' conditions, probably during the fall legislative 
session. 
 
13. (SBU) However wrong Abou and Keita were about the roots 
of Nigerien foreign policy, ultimately "Le Republican" is not 
being punished for what it did poorly, but for what it did 
impeccably - revealing and criticizing the corruption at the 
heart of the Ministry of Basic Education. The paper itself 
made this argument in a special free issue that appeared on 
the day after the arrests. In a lead article entitled: "the 
tree that hides the forest," Abou and Keita asked: "in 2006 
alone, we have proven the embezzlement involving several 
billion francs, and' (this was) 'confirmed by an impartial 
audit. So, who must go to prison?" That is a question to 
which the GON has so far provided all the wrong answers. END 
COMMENT 
ALLEN