VZCZCXRO8161
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHNM #1023/01 2551219
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 121219Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2888
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUFGCIN/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 001023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ACCRA FOR USAID 
AF/W FOR BACHMAN 
INR FOR BOGOSIAN 
PRM FOR POLLACK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL EAID EAGR SOCI SENV NG
 
SUBJECT: NIGER: CONSOLIDATING PEACE IN THE AIR AND AZAWAK 
 
REF: NIAMEY 391 
 
¶1. SUMMARY.  MORE THAN 11 YEARS AFTER THE SIGNING OF PEACE ACCORDS, 
FORMER MEMBERS OF VARIOUS TUAREG RESISTANCE FRONTS 
HAVE BEGUN TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE BEEN PROMISED.  ON 
SEPTEMBER 8, IN A HALF-DAY CEREMONY IN AGADEZ, THE FIRST CHECKS WERE 
HANDED TO THE HEADS OF 25 COOPERATIVE GROUPS.  KEY GOVERNMENT OF 
NIGER (GON) OFFICIALS AND REPRESENTATIVES FROM DONORS CONTRIBUTING 
TO THIS TWO-YEAR, UNDP-MANAGED PROGRAM TO ASSIST 3,160 EX-REBELS 
WERE IN ATTENDANCE.  MUCH FANFARE AND PRESS COVERAGE WAS GIVEN TO 
THIS IMPORTANT STEP IN CONSOLIDATING PEACE IN THE AIR AND AZAWAK 
REGIONS.  EMBASSY'S USAID CONTRACTOR REPRESENTED AMBASSADOR AT THE 
CEREMONY AND PROVIDES THE FOLLOWING REPORT ON THE PACIFICATION 
PROGRAM.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
LONG ROAD TO PUTTING CASH IN THE EX-REBELS' HANDS 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶2. FOLLOWING FIVE YEARS OF SPORADIC ARMED CONFLICT WITH 13 TUAREG 
REBEL FRONTS, PEACE ACCORDS WERE SIGNED WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGER 
(GON) ON APRIL 24, 1995.  THESE ACCORDS PROVIDED FOR THE INTEGRATION 
OF EX-FRONT MEMBERS INTO THE GON CIVIL SERVICE AND SECURITY FORCES, 
AS WELL AS CASH PAYMENTS TO SOME SENIOR FRONT COMMANDERS.  NUMEROUS 
MEETINGS HAVE BEEN HELD SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE ACCORDS AND THE GON 
HAS ORGANIZED SEVERAL KEY EVENTS (E.G., THE "PEACE FLAME" IN 2000 
WHERE ARMS COLLECTED FROM FORMER REBELS WERE BURNED IN A HUGE 
BONFIRE IN AGADEZ). THE REMAINING ACTION IN SUPPORT OF THE PEACE 
ACCORDS IS PROVIDING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 3,160 FORMER MEMBERS OF 
TUAREG REBEL FRONTS. 
 
¶3.  IN 1994, THE GON ESTABLISHED A HIGH COMMISSION FOR THE 
RESTORATION OF PEACE AND CHARGED IT WITH EXECUTING PROGRAMS TO 
MAINTAIN THE PEACE WITH EX-TUAREG REBELS IN NORTHERN NIGER AND, 
LATER, WITH THE 890 TOUBOU REBELS IN EASTERN NIGER (KAWAR AND MANGA 
REGIONS) WHO SIGNED A PEACE AGREEMENT IN 1998. CURRENTLY, THE HEAD 
OF THIS COMMISSION IS MOHAMED ANACKO, FORMER LEADER OF AN EX-TUAREG 
FRONT THAT WAS ONE OF THE LAST TO SIGN THE PEACE ACCORDS. ONE OF THE 
COMMISSION'S TASKS HAS BEEN TO CONDUCT A CENSUS OF ALL THE FORMER 
TUAREG MEMBERS ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE. 
 
¶4.  IT WAS AGREED THAT EACH OF THE 13 EX-TUAREG FRONTS WOULD PROVIDE 
THE NAMES OF 220 PEOPLE (MEN AND WOMEN) WHO COULD BE CONSIDERED FOR 
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO SUPPORT INCOME GENERATING ACTIVITIES. AT 
PRESENT, 1,067 EX-REBELS FROM SIX FRONTS HAVE BEEN REGISTERED IN THE 
AGADEZ REGION, AS HAVE 1,106 EX-REBELS FROM SEVEN FRONTS IN THE 
NORTH TAHOUA-AZAWAK REGION. AS THESE FORMER FRONT MEMBERS BEGIN 
RECEIVING FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, WORK CONTINUES TO 
REGISTER ADDITIONAL EX-REBELS IN PLACES AS FAR AWAY FROM AGADEZ AS 
NIAMEY, TILLABERI AND ZINDER. ALTOGETHER, 11 OF THE 13 FRONTS HAVE 
COMPLETED THE REGISTRATION PROCESS. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
COMPLEX PROCESS TO MAKE CASH WORK FOR EX-REBELS 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5.  ACCORDING TO AGREEMENTS REACHED, EACH FORMER REBELS IS TO 
RECEIVE 165,000 CFA FRANCS (USD 323) BUT THEY WOULD NOT RECEIVE THIS 
SUM INDIVIDUALLY BUT AS PART OF A GREATER AMOUNT TO BE PROVIDED TO A 
CO-OPERATIVE GROUP THEY HAVE FORMED WITH OTHER EX-REBELS.  THESE 
CO-OPS ARE GENERALLY COMPOSED OF SEVEN TO 10 MEMBERS AND THEY CAN BE 
MEN OR WOMEN, OR BOTH. THEREFORE, A GROUP WITH 10 MEMBERS WOULD 
RECEIVE 1,165,000 CFA (USD 3,230) UPON APPROVAL OF THEIR APPLICATION 
FOR A MICRO-PROJECT.  HOWEVER, THE CURRENT UNDP PROGRAM REQUIRES 
THAT ONLY 80 PERCENT OF THIS AMOUNT BE PROVIDED, WITH THE REMAINING 
20 PERCENT TO BE GRANTED FOLLOWING AN EVALUATION OF THE 
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE APPROVED ACTIVITY. 
 
¶6.  TO DATE, MICRO-PROJECTS HAVE BEEN APPROVED FOR 106 CO-OPS IN THE 
AGADEZ REGION AND 104 CO-OPS IN THE AZAWAK REGION.  ALTOGETHER, 
2,173 EX-REBELS ARE MEMBERS OF THESE 210 CO-OPS AND THE ACTIVITIES 
THEY WILL BE PURSUING INCLUDE CEREALS BANKS, COMMUNITY GARDENS, 
LIVESTOCK MARKETING, STORES FOR THE SALE OF AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, 
ETC.  THE HEAVY AND COMPLEX ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN OF PROCESSING AND 
FOLLOWING UP ON THE WORK OF ALL THESE CO-OPS AND THEIR ACTIVITIES IS 
OBVIOUS.  THIS BURDEN IS EVEN GREATER WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THAT THE 
GEOGRAPHIC AREA COVERED BY A DOZEN PROJECT STAFF IS ABOUT 250,000 
SQUARE KILOMETERS (AN AREA LARGER THAN THE STATES OF VIRGINIA AND 
MARYLAND COMBINED.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
EX-REBELS COMPLAIN CASH IS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶7.  THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THIS USD 1.6 MILLION, TWO-YEAR PROJECT 
(NOW NEARING THE END OF ITS FIRST YEAR) WILL BE SEVERELY CHALLENGED 
 
NIAMEY 00001023  002 OF 002 
 
 
TO CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENTATION MOMENTUM AND VERIFICATION THAT THE 
FUNDS PROVIDED WILL GO FOR THE PURPOSES INTENDED.  THE 25 CHECKS, 
DISTRIBUTED WITH MUCH FANFARE ON SEPTEMBER 8, ARE A FIRST STEP IN 
WHAT COULD BECOME A LONG PROCESS. TWO YEARS IS PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH 
TIME TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS AND THE UNDP CLAIMS THE PROJECT IS 
SHORT-FUNDED BY ABOUT USD 220,000. 
 
¶8.  CURRENT CONTRIBUTORS AND THE AMOUNTS PROVIDED TO THIS EFFORT TO 
CONSOLIDATE PEACE IN THE AIR AND AZAWAK REGIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS: GON 
(USD 157,000); UNDP (USD 580,000); FRANCE (USD 360,000); LIBYA (USD 
318,000); AND, U.S. (USD 225,000).  THE U.S. CONTRIBUTION REPRESENTS 
ONE OF THE FIRST DISBURSEMENTS OF FUNDS MADE UNDER THE TRANS-SAHARA 
COUNTER TERRORISM PARTNERSHIP (TSCTP).  POST HAS SUBMITTED A REQUEST 
FOR AN ADDIITONAL USD 200,000 IN ESF FUNDING TO PROVIDE FURTHER 
SUPPORT THIS PROGRAM (REFTEL). 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
KEEPING THE PEACE REQUIRES A SUSTAINED COMMITMENT 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶9.  THE FUNDING ISSUE IS FURTHER COMPLICATED BY THE STRONG FEELING 
AMONG EX-REBEL GROUPS THAT THE MONEY THEY ARE FINALLY RECEIVING IS 
INADEQUATE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. DURING THE SEPTEMBER 8 CEREMONY 
EX-FRONT LEADERS SAID IN THEIR SPEECHES THAT THEY ARE STRONGLY 
COMMITTED TO PEACE BUT THAT THE AMOUNTS THEY ARE NOW RECEIVING AFTER 
WAITING OVER 11 YEARS ARE JUST TOO LITTLE. ONE GROUP LEADER REFERRED 
TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY BEING PROVIDED TO EACH EX-REBEL AS 
RIDICULOUSLY SMALL.  WHILE IT IS CLEAR THEY ARE HAPPY TO BE 
RECEIVING SOMETHING, IT IS ALSO CLEAR THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING A 
MUCH HIGHER PEACE DIVIDEND. 
 
¶10.  COMMENT.  KEEPING THE PEACE IN THE AIR AND AZAWAK REGIONS WILL 
REQUIRE MORE THAN A TWO-YEAR, USD TWO MILLION PROJECT, A SUM OF 
MONEY CONSIDERED PALTRY BY FORMER REBELS.  IT REMAINS AN OPEN 
QUESTION HOW MUCH MORE WILL BE NEEDED TO MAINTAIN THE PEACE AND IT 
MAY BE THAT EVEN MUCH MORE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH.  AS NOTED IN HIGH 
COMMISSIONER ANACKO'S REMARKS AT THE SEPTEMBER 8 CEREMONY IN AGADEZ, 
POVERTY AND MISERY WERE THE UNDERLYING CAUSES TO THE TUAREQ 
REBELLION. ADDRESSING ADEQUATELY THESE CAUSES WILL TAKE MANY YEARS 
OF CONSISTENT HIGH LEVELS OF INVESTMENT, FROM BOTH PUBLIC AND 
PRIVATE SOURCES.  NONETHELESS, DONORS SHOULD CONTINUE IN THE MONTHS 
AND YEARS AHEAD TO EXPAND THEIR WORK WITH THE GON TO SUPPORT THE 
MAINTENANCE OF PEACE IN NIGER'S AIR AND AZAWAK REGIONS.  END 
COMMENT. 
ALLEN