VZCZCXRO4004
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #0531/01 2032053
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 222053Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5202
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLMC/MCC WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000531 
 
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E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KDEM SOCI AORC UN AU ECOWAS NG
SUBJECT:  Niger:  UN-AU-ECOWAS Delegation Meets GON Officials, 
Political Parties, and Civil Society 
 
Ref:  a) Niamey 00375, b) Niamey 00344, c) Niamey 00211 
 
NIAMEY 00000531  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. Summary:  On July 20-21, a joint UN-AU-ECOWAS delegation met with 
President Tandja, PM Oumarou, political party leaders, civil 
society, and labor union heads in an attempt to defuse the ongoing 
political crisis.  All meetings took place behind closed doors; 
President Tandja subsequently declared on state media that the 
referendum would still be held, and declared that he acted in 
response to the needs of the Nigerien people, not of the 
international community.  The delegation also met with a few members 
of the diplomatic corps to discuss the political environment.   End 
summary. 
 
Envoys Meet Prime Minister Oumarou 
---------------------------------- 
¶2. On July 20, the delegation, made up of United Nations (UN) 
Secretary General's Special Envoy for West Africa Said Djinnit, 
African Union (AU) Special Representative for Cote d'Ivoire Ambroise 
Niyonsaba, and Economic Commission of West African States 
(ECOWAS)Commission President Mohammed Ibn Chambas, met with Prime 
Minister Oumarou.  Foreign Minister Mindaoudou and Minister of 
Professional and Technical Training Mamadou (former Minister of 
Justice and an author of the new constitution draft) also were 
present.  Official sources in Niamey indicated, without further 
detail, that discussions related to "the political situation 
prevailing in Niger." 
 
Meetings: Political Parties, Civil Society and Unions 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
¶3. On July 20, the envoys met with representatives of the Alliance 
of Democratic Forces for the Republic (AFDR), made up of parties of 
the ruling coalition, and civil society organizations supporting 
President Tandja - namely the Citizens' Movement for Peace, 
Democracy and the Republic (MCPDR).  Nouhou Arzika, leader of the 
MCPDR, stated on private radio that they gave their interlocutors a 
historical background of Niger's political situation during the past 
20 years and analyzed the behavior of political leaders during that 
period.  Regarding the August 4 referendum, Arzika told envoys that 
"It is the will of the sovereign people.  The people should be the 
beginning and the end of all actions.  There is no crisis, unlike 
what you seem to believe.  There is just a conflict of interest due 
to some politicians moved only by the desire to serve their personal 
interests." 
 
¶4. Bazoum Mohamed, vice president of the PNDS, the main opposition 
party, told journalists that opposition parties "had clearly 
explained to the delegation their position, that is, Tandja must 
repeal his decision to hold a referendum, even if it means to open 
dialogue with him."  Responding to another question by foreign media 
about the results of the meeting with international envoys, he said, 
"We do not know what emerged from Mr. Tandja's meeting with the 
tripartite delegation, but we know one thing - he is stubborn and 
will not listen to them.  We are getting organized in order to block 
the referendum." 
 
¶5. The delegation also met with labor unions, with no details yet 
available.  Abdou Maigandi, the leader of the Trade Union of 
Nigerien Workers (USTN) told the press that unions had explained 
their position to the delegation, and made the following comment: 
"We wish good luck to these envoys as they face leaders who do not 
share the virtues of democracy.  Tandja has returned to his military 
past, so he will not back down.  It looks like the delegation 
arrived too late." 
 
President Tandja Receives the Delegation 
---------------------------------------- 
¶6. On July 21, envoys met with President Tandja in the presence of 
Foreign Minister Mindaoudou and Minister of Professional and 
Technical Training Mamadou.  ECOWAS Commission President Ibn 
Chambas, however, indicated to government media that the purpose of 
the delegation's trip was to explore how their respective 
institutions could play a role in order to "ensure the continuity of 
dialogue among Nigeriens, to restore consensus, which was a 
mechanism for managing political affairs that greatly helped the 
country...The President has indicated to us that he is always open 
and ready to discuss with all (political parties, civil society, and 
unions) in order to ensure the consolidation of 
democracy...Political parties have also insisted on the need to 
resume dialogue between political parties and other active forces of 
the nation in order to overcome the current situation in Niger...We 
have always insisted on the fact that it is up to Nigeriens to solve 
their problems via dialogue and through consensus." 
 
 
NIAMEY 00000531  002.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶7. On July 20, the UN System Coordinator arranged a meeting, at the 
request of the delegation, with several diplomatic corps ambassadors 
and international institution senior representatives in order to 
gain their perspective on the political environment as 
representatives in the host country.  There was consensus that 
President Tandja is unlikely to cancel the August 4 referendum. 
 
"I Respond to Nigeriens, not Internationals" 
-------------------------------------------- 
¶8. On July 21, President Tandja spoke on state media regarding the 
delegation's visit and declared that he responded to the people of 
Niger, not the international community.  He further affirmed that 
the referendum would continue on schedule; if the people rejected 
his plan for a new constitution, they could vote "no." 
 
President Tandja Hosts West African Journalists 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
¶9. While Ibn Chambas reaffirmed "the deep concerns of the 
international community and ECOWAS" about the situation in Niger, 
President Tandja commissioned several West African journalists to 
travel throughout Niger to see and report on his "great work."  In a 
press conference on July 20, he told them that "the people have come 
to me and asked me to stay for three years in order to complete what 
I undertook...I told them that we have to change the Constitution, 
because the current one does not allow it...the people have opted 
that we go to the referendum...The president is required to call the 
referendum." 
 
Comment 
------- 
¶10. Since the beginning of the year, President Tandja has had 
several meetings with UN, AU, and ECOWAS officials.  For example, on 
March 13, President Tandja assured UN envoy Said Djinnit that he 
would organize elections within the legal timeframe (ref C).  The 
same day, Foreign Minister Mindaoudou convoked foreign diplomats to 
explain President Tandja's referendum plans (ref B).  On May 15, the 
ECOWAS Council of the Wise urged President Tandja not to seek an 
extension of his term of office (ref A), but to no avail.  End 
comment. 
 
ALLEN