VZCZCXRO0315
PP RUEHTRO
DE RUEHNM #0646/01 1291629
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 091629Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY NIAMEY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3463
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY
INFO RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS 3362
RUEHBP/AMEMBASSY BAMAKO 0379
RUEHTRO/AMEMBASSY TRIPOLI
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NIAMEY 000646 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2017 
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL NG
SUBJECT: NIGER: MINISTER OF DEFENSE ASKS USG NOT TO ABANDON 
FRIEND IN NEED 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Bernadette M. Allen, Reasons 1.4 (b/d) 
 
¶1. (C) Summary. Government of Niger (GON) Defense Minister 
(DefMin), Hassane Souley, requested a meeting with Ambassador 
Allen to ask for USG support of GON military efforts to deal 
with Tuareg dissidents in the North.  The GON seeks military 
support, especially intelligence assistance.  The DefMin 
emphasized that while people in the defense establishment 
value the U.S.-Niger military relationship, USG support for 
GON efforts in resolving the situation in northern Niger 
would further demonstrate to the GON civilian leadership the 
value of having the U.S. as an ally.  The GON believes there 
are links between Tuareg dissidents in Niger and those in 
northern Mali and in the Al-Quaeda in the Magreb (AQIM).  GON 
does not have a negotiating partner and does not believe 
negotiations with the Tuaregs will work because in the GON's 
view the ultimate goal is secession which no government could 
accept.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) In a May 8 meeting with Ambassador and the U.S. 
Defense Attache (DATT), Nigerien DefMin Souley (with the 
Ministry of Defense Secretary General present) said it was 
important for the USG to continue to cooperate with the 
Nigerien military in order to demonstrate the value of the 
relationship to the GON civilian leadership.  He said that 
whatever the USG can do to assist the GON with the current 
situation in the North would only reinforce an already strong 
relationship.  In response to the Ambassador's comments about 
GON inaction to formalize a long-term training and 
cooperation plan between the two militaries, the DefMin said 
the problem lies with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs because 
the Foreign Minister travels a lot.  The Ambassador stated 
that not having an Article 98 agreement places limitations on 
military collaboration, but given the current situation in 
the North, the GON military leadership should seize the 
opportunity to convince the GON civilian leadership to 
finally sit at the table with the USG to formalize and map 
out a mil-to-mil cooperation plan for the next few years. 
She reminded the DefMin that we had discussed the need to 
work out a plan during Admiral McCraven's visit last Fall. 
The Ambassador added that the Embassy can request possible 
training to assist the Nigeriens, such as anti-mining 
training, in light of the humanitarian aspects of such 
assistance, but stated the GON should formally request the 
assistance through a diplomatic note.  Both the Ambassador 
and the DefMin agreed that the Nigeriens need to address the 
insecurity in the North, so that the current situation 
doesn't further deteriorate. 
 
¶3. (C) Minister Souley then stated that insecurity in the 
North affects everything and if left unchecked could 
destabilize the country and create further instability 
throughout the region, stretching from Mali to Sudan.  He 
added that thus far this year Niger has seized ten (10) tons 
of drugs in the North, and said that the Algerians and 
Libyans allow such activity to happen.  He also said the 
Mouvement des Nigeriens pour la Justice (MNJ) engages in drug 
trafficking and that revenue from the illicit traffic 
facilitates the purchase of arms and other materials used by 
rebels or potential terrorists.  Moreover, he added that in 
the GON's eyes the MNJ are terrorists because they've already 
killed people.  The GON sees the benefit of U.S. military 
training in fighting all forms of insecurity and would 
welcome more training because the U.S.-trained Pan Sahel 
Initiative (PSI) company is the only real operational company 
in Niger that can deal with the current threats.  The 
Secretary General at the Ministry of Defense noted that the 
 
SIPDIS 
Nigerien military is most in need of intelligence to track 
the Tuareg dissidents.  The Ambassador responded that given 
the GON's initial public labeling of the Tuareg dissidents as 
criminals and bandits, the USG would need strong evidence of 
a link between the Tuareg dissidents and terrorism in order 
not to view the current situation as an internal, domestic 
matter.  The DefMin animatedly responded that there is indeed 
a link to terrorism because the MNJ and Tuareg dissidents who 
did not sign the Peace Accords want the same thing as the 
terrorists; that is to create a "no man's land", using heavy 
arms and mines in order to create sanctuary in the North like 
they did in Mali. 
 
¶4. (C) The DefMin dismissed the MNJ as a rebellion and said 
the GON and the international community fulfilled their 
obligations to the former rebels under the Peace Accords, 
such as military positions, reinsertion assistance, etc. He 
added that Niger is a democracy where people can speak freely 
 
NIAMEY 00000646  002 OF 002 
 
 
and form their own political parties.  He said no one needs 
to take up arms to defend an interest in Niger; that there 
will always be malcontents, but nothing justifies taking up 
arms in Niger.  The Ambassador then inquired whether the GON 
plans to negotiate with the MNJ.  The DefMin responded that 
the MNJ does not have a political wing, consequently, there 
is really no one with whom the GON can negotiate or hold a 
discussion.  He pointed out that the MNJ leadership was 
serving murder sentences before the Malian Tuaregs broke them 
out of jail.  He added that the USG viewing this problem as a 
domestic Nigerien problem would be tantamount to Niger 
viewing terrorism as solely a USG problem and not a Nigerien 
problem.  The Minister concluded that the GON cannot make a 
distinction between a drug trafficker, terrorist or rebel 
because they operate in the same manner and in the same 
territory.  Moreover, he said these actors' resort to 
violence has detrimental effects on the local economy, 
affecting tourism and development projects.  Souley concluded 
that no democratically-elected government can accept these 
destabilizing activities on its territory.  The Ambassador 
acknowledged that several resident Embassies, including our 
own, had issued warden messages advising our respective 
citizens to refrain from travel North of Agadez, due to the 
risks of land mines and the uncertainties about security in 
the North. 
 
¶5. (C) The GON believes there is no doubt about a link 
between the MNJ and the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC) 
in Mali, the ADC links to AQIM and, by extension, the MNJ and 
AQIM.  The Minister stated that the ADC has already begun to 
renege on recently signed agreements with the Malian 
Government because their ultimate goal is to create their own 
country encompassing northern Mali to northern Niger.  He 
added that there are ten main ethnic groups in Niger and 
stated that if each ethnic group behaved in the manner of the 
Tuaregs, then Niger would cease to exist.  He acknowledged 
that the insecurity is already adversely affecting 
development activities in the North because some natural 
resource extractive and exploration activities have stopped 
and the work of non-governmental organizations has slowed 
down.  The Minister closed by stating that intelligence on 
the location of the MNJ is most essential and suggested that 
the USG choice boils down to either supporting a 
democratically-elected government or, through USG inaction, 
supporting the rebels. 
 
Minimize Considered 
 
ALLEN